Azerbaijan rises to 36th position in Cybersecurity Index

By Azernews

Azerbaijan has risen to 36 positions in the Cyber Security Index. According to the relevant decree of the Azerbaijani President, work is currently underway towards the establishment of a National Cyber Centre. Head of the State Security Service Ali Nagiyev said this during his speech at the Critical Infrastructure Defence Challenge 2023 event held in Baku, Azernews reports.

"I must also note that cooperation with special services of partner countries and advanced technology companies in the field of combating cyber threats is expanding in the direction of ensuring the security of critical information infrastructures as well as organising the fight against cyber threats. All of this is aimed at improving the defence capabilities of the national cyberspace as well as the global cyberspace, which serves to strengthen our position.

I would like to emphasise that the attention and care shown by President Ilham Aliyev to the formation and development of a national ecosystem in the sphere of cyber security has led to a serious improvement in Azerbaijan's position in international ratings. Thus, in the rating table of the Cybersecurity Index, the Republic of Azerbaijan has risen 36 places and moved from 86th to 50th place. It should be noted that this result is the highest position Azerbaijan has occupied in the rating table so far," Nagiyev said.

It should be noted that today in the Baku Congress Centre, under the joint organisation of the State Service of Special Communication and Information Security of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

"As a result of the successful elaboration of the "National Development Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Information and Communication Technologies" approved by the National Leader Heydar Aliyev in 2003 by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan is now becoming a regional centre of industrial revolution," Nagiyev added.

The head of the State Security Service added that the dynamic development of information and communication technologies, which play an important role in the scientific and technological progress of Azerbaijan, requires the management of security risks in this sphere and increasing the resistance of information infrastructures to cyber threats.

"This, in turn, requires new approaches to ensuring security and significantly increases the responsibility of states in terms of reliable information security. It is no coincidence that strengthening the cyber defence of critical information infrastructures is considered one of the most important tasks of our time and one of the most important tasks in terms of security," Nagiyev said.

Ilgar Musayev, head of the State Service for Special Communication and Information Protection of the Republic of Azerbaijan, also spoke at the Critical Infrastructure Defence Challenge 2023.

"Azerbaijan has become the first country in the CIS region to restore its sovereignty, a victorious state of the 21st century. Countries that cannot digest this are trying to create certain problems for our country, both in the sphere of information security and other areas."

According to the Head of the State Service for Special Communication, the holding of such large-scale events can be seen as the beginning of new large-scale projects.

"For us, it means new opportunities and responsibility. Against the background of the events that have taken place in the world and in our country in recent years, new realities have made the issue of monitoring the security of critical information infrastructure relevant. Also, the work done In this direction in recent years, the adopted normative legal acts and cyber schools are a clear example of this.

From this point of view, the cyber warfare competition held for the first time in Azerbaijan to protect critical information systems from cyber attacks and the development of information systems in crisis situations are of particular importance." Musaev said.