TOOLS FOR IMPROVING THE DIGITAL COMPETENCE OF SPECIALISTS OF THE NATIONAL SYSTEM OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Abstract

The current security situation in Ukraine and in the world as a whole is changing almost every day, which drives the emergence of new regulators that will have, among other, effective levers of influence on public relations in the area of critical infrastructure protection. The key task of the state security policy is ever more becoming to ensure guaranteed conditions for advocating the national interests in education. The issues of critical infrastructure protection are becoming more relevant with the development of global networks, because digital technologies are becoming a modern trend. Ukraine’s development path in building a national system of critical infrastructure protection needs fundamental and immediate changes based on the application of science-based management decisions. This need is caused by the emerging relevance of the issue related to protection of systems, facilities and resources that are critical for functioning of the society, for social and economic development of the state, and for safeguarding the national security. A cross-cutting challenge for Ukraine is the increasing development of digital technologies, accelerated innovation through the use of these technologies, and the huge need for skilled workforce to transform the country’s economy in the face of digital inequality. The key challenge is that the Ukrainian society is not prepared for the «digital challenge» – more specifically, most of the working population lack professional digital competencies. The issue of a large number of vacant jobs for employees with digital skills and unemployed socially active individuals who lack these skills needs to be addressed. With the transition of business operations, including the critical infrastructure protection activities, to the online mode, numerous segments of the population face digital barriers on their way to living a full life. The article analyzes the issues of professional competence of specialists of the national system of critical infrastructure protection, formulates a definition of digital tools in the area of critical infrastructure protection, and identifies the main groups of digital tools in this area that will allow managing security, administering authentication, developing the educational aspect of the national system of critical infrastructure protection and providing warnings in the area of critical infrastructure, which will ultimately ensure the development and improvement of digital competence of specialists of the national system of critical infrastructure protection in public administration overall.