Ramiz Mehdiyev: The information environment is actively influencing on political, economic, defensive and other components of national security

Processes of global integration and technological diversity have created a basis for intensive promotion of information and communication achievements and laid foundation for launching formation of information society, said chief of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan, academician Ramiz Mehdiyev during his speech entitled “Threats to international information security in conditions of developing global information society: directions of cooperation” at the 1st international meeting of the high representatives supervising security issues held in Sochi on October 5-6.

He said: “The developing information society carries new challenges. Therefore, the implementation of the concept of national security of the state is impossible without respect to the new situation, established in the world.”

Mehdiyev underlined: “The absence of the necessary and adequate shield in the face of the cyber crime may paralyze the mechanism of regulating the country and lead to irrecoverable damages, human and financial losses.”

The head of the Presidential Administration noted: “Azerbaijan pays much attention to IT development. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has declared this sphere a priority trend of the socioeconomic development of the country. Azerbaijan studies the experience of developed countries in IT sphere and applies modern technologies in all spheres of life in the state. The legislative base is also being improved in the sphere of cyber crimes in terms of response to the challenges of global information security. Considering the growing information and communication interdependence, Azerbaijan is turning into the object of constant cyber attacks. The statistics of the attacks prevented in 2010 shows that their geography is wide and in the past six months they were made from: China– 30%, Armenia – 25%, USA – 15%, Russia – 10% and other– 20%.”

He said: “While speaking about the sources of threats of information security, we should not forget that these are not depersonalized structures. Each of these sources is backed by definite circles, pursuing their political and other interests. Purposeful work is carried out though information sabotages in order to mislead the communities. Such groups use the elements of the so-called “information weapon”, as the spread of panic, distortion of information about the territorial integrity of the states, inciting to terror and separatist activity and so on”, adding “Azerbaijan often faces the examples of open information provocation. Such actions are mostly conducted by the information structures of neighbor Armenia which is in a state of war with Azerbaijan.”

Mehdiyev stressed: “Unfortunately, the attacks are also conducted by information resources from the territories of the states which have good neighbor relations with Azerbaijan. I believe that considering the accumulated international experience to fight cyber crime, we should think over the Code of Conduct in the internet, which would not restrict the freedom of speech but regulate the responsibilities of the information sources.”

“Naturally, we should concentrate on those spheres where information and communication attacks may cause huge disasters. Protection of such infrastructures as state bodies, wastes, electricity supply, power supply, communication, and transport from different cyber attacks is the most urgent task for all states with no exception,” he noted.


/AzerTAc/