Information security is now a matter of national security, economic stability, and public trust.
This was stated by Allahverən İsmayılov, Deputy Head of the State Service for Special Communication and Information Security (XRITDX), at the VI Summit of IT Heads of State Agencies organized by the institution.
According to him, risks are also increasing with the acceleration of digitalization: "Statistical indicators show that cyberattacks worldwide have increased more than threefold in the last five years. In just the first half of 2025, over 40% of attacks targeting state agencies were against critical infrastructure systems. This indicates that every vulnerability can turn into a strategic risk."
A. Ismayilov stated that Azerbaijan is not immune to these global trends:
"When analyzing the causes of security incidents in state information resources, we see that one of the main problems is still data leakage. This stems not only from technical vulnerabilities but also from weaknesses in management processes. Therefore, the formation of a security culture in all state agencies and the regular conduct of risk assessments are of vital importance."
The Deputy Head also specifically highlighted the "Bug Bounty" program, which is being implemented for the first time in Azerbaijan in accordance with international practice:
"This initiative shows that state agencies are transitioning to an open and cooperation-based approach. Because in the modern world, cybersecurity is not just about protecting closed systems, but also about collaboration with expert communities."
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