United States and Bulgaria Deepen Cooperation in Cybersecurity Realm

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today concluded a five-day Cyber Incident Investigations and Response Training (CIIRT) workshop for Bulgaria’s law enforcement and judicial officials in Sofia.  The Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Country Attaché office in Athens and the Sofia-based U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Regional Attaché office, with coordination from the Regional Homeland Security Advisor in Sarajevo, organized the workshop, which will improve Bulgaria’s ability to deter, detect, and counter cyber threats. The expert-led training sessions covered cyber-attacks, how hackers operate, and ransomware operations, as well as how to identify if a system has been compromised – key skills for national cybersecurity.

U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires H. Martin McDowell stated: “Data security is as critical as physical infrastructure. Sharing U.S. cybersecurity expertise with our Bulgarian partner strengthens both our nations and protects our communities from malicious actors.  This law enforcement cooperation builds on our joint efforts to combat transnational organized crime, strengthen border security, and prevent the importation of deadly narcotics. 

At the conclusion of the event, DHS Regional Attaché Luke Miller noted: “Collaborative exercises such as the CIIRT workshop are an important tool for both helping our partners build their cyber defenses and for the United States to better understand the data-security landscape and challenges Bulgaria faces.  Together, we are promoting a safer environment for our citizens and businesses.”

In the past year, the United States and Bulgaria have significantly deepened our bilateral law-enforcement cooperation, leading to the identification and detention of high-risk individuals and known or suspected terrorists, helping prevent their entry into Bulgaria and onward travel to the United States.  Working together to keep dangerous narcotics from entering our countries, we have undertaken multiple joint operations resulting in the seizure of illicit drugs and successful investigations targeting traffickers.

Source: U.S. Embassy Sofia