Azerbaijan rises in cyber security ranking

Thanks to its success in the field of digital development and cyber security, Azerbaijan has improved its place in the international National Cybersecurity Index by four positions to 50th. The National Cybersecurity Index rating is assessed and ranked on 46 indicators of the digital environment of 176 countries, Azernews reports.

It should be noted that the National Cybersecurity Index, developed by the Estonian Academy of Electronic Governance Foundation, is a global index that measures in real-time the readiness of countries to ensure cybersecurity and manage cyber incidents.

Earlier, Azerbaijan approved the strategy on information security and cyber security for 2023-2027.
According to this strategy, Azerbaijan will set minimum cybersecurity requirements for the national digital airspace, determine tax exemptions and other mandatory payments in connection with the development of information security technologies, improve the protection of personal data, create consulting platforms on information security and cybersecurity, take measures to prepare national resources in the field of cryptographic protection, set security requirements for the creation of national cryptographic defense, and develop a plan for the creation of an organizational structure for the creation of cybersecurity organizations.

In addition, a plan will be developed to create an organizational framework, risk assessment, and management plan to ensure the security of critical information infrastructure and its management in emergency situations and in war, and an electronic information system "Cybercrime" will be formed.

Criteria and indicators for detecting, and measuring incidents and critical cases will also be defined, and a register of information security risks will be maintained.

The National Cybersecurity Index ranks and evaluates 46 indicators of the digital environment of 161 countries. Azerbaijan's neighbors, Georgia and Armenia, rank 48 and 96 respectively in the Index.

President Ilham Aliyev has made the development of cybersecurity a top priority. The Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, the State Special Communications and Information Security Service, and the Central Bank of Azerbaijan are all working to develop and protect state digital systems and web resources.

The Central Bank of Azerbaijan is also working on a cybersecurity strategy for Azerbaijani banks, which is set to be implemented this year. The government is also working on the creation of a "Government Cloud" (G-cloud) in Azerbaijan and providing cloud services to public, private, and foreign structures.

The Association of Cybersecurity Organizations of Azerbaijan has also been created to unite companies, organizations, and specialists operating in the field of IT and cybersecurity in the country on a single platform.

The Baku Cybersecurity Forum was held in Baku on June 23, 2022, to discuss the challenges of corporate cybersecurity and the possibility of building a reliable protection system using a single platform.

Thanks to its success in digital development and cybersecurity, Azerbaijan has improved its place in the international National Cybersecurity Index by four positions to 50th, making it one of the leading regional and world countries in the information security sphere.