A two-day forum dedicated to enhancing the domestic Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for co-operation between Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs) and law enforcement agencies convened in Chisinau, Moldova, from 3 to 4 November 2026. The activity was supported by the CyberEast+, a joint project of the European Union and of the Council of Europe, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen action against cyberattacks and promoting stakeholders’ collaboration.

The Forum brought together representatives of the CSIRTs, law enforcement bodies, judicial authorities and cybersecurity industry actors.

The Council of Europe provided expert contribution, in co-operation with e-Governance Academy (eGA) as part of the EU-funded project on Improving cyber resilience in Eastern Partnership countries 2.0.

During the forum participants addressed roles and responsibilities, cross-border co-operation frameworks, effective means of reporting and categorisation of cyber incidents, legal compliance and sensitive data handling, as well as evidence preservation and applying digital forensics. Moldovan representatives also focussed on good practices for using Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) to develop comprehensive cyber threat analyses.  

Mr Alexandru Simionov, Head of the Cyber Diplomacy Unit from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Moldova, noted that, in the current cyber threat context, cybersecurity can no longer be viewed solely as a technical issue. It is an important component of national security and institutional resilience. Mr Simionov emphasised the importance of interagency co-operation and the role of the Standard Operating Procedures developed in 2021 as an important step.  The 2026 landscape looks different,  threats have changed, technologies have evolved, and institutional capacities have undergone significant transformations. Therefore, he acknowledged the value of discussing, remapping and reassessing the needs of Moldovan partner institutions, in order to further enhance law enforcement/CSIRT co-operation.

This activity facilitated the finalisation of the SOPs, which ensure that the international standards and principles cater to the specific needs of Moldovan stakeholders, and that they can be successfully put into practice. Participants also identified pertinent activities to operationalise the SOPs, which are expected to be implemented during 2027, as part of the national regulatory framework.

The CyberEast+ project will continue to support co-operation between criminal justice and cybersecurity responses to cyberthreats in the Republic of Moldova, through dedicated capacity building initiatives.

CyberEast+ Project

Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention)

eGA: Improving cyber resilience in Eastern Partnership countries 2.0