On May 17 of this year, a cybersecurity conference named "Hacktrick" took place in Ankara, the capital city of the Republic of Turkey. The event was organised with the support of the Association of Cybersecurity Organisations of Azerbaijan (ACOA), alongside The Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA), TR-CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team of the Republic of Turkey), Turkey Cyber Security Cluster, and several Turkish companies active in the field. The conference was accompanied by competitions and training sessions that will continue until May 19.

During the opening ceremony, alongside the leaders and high-ranking officials of Turkey's relevant institutions and organisations, Davud Rustamov, the head of the National Cybersecurity Center of the State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan, delivered a speech. He provided insights into Azerbaijan's cybersecurity ecosystem, as well as the measures taken in the country to ensure the security of critical information infrastructure and combat cyber threats. Highlighting the remarks made by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E Mr. Ilham Aliyev, during the swearing-in ceremony held on February 14 of this year, Mr. Rustamov emphasised the importance of international and regional cooperation, particularly between the member countries of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), in ensuring cybersecurity.

Following this, a series of speeches and panel discussions on cybersecurity took place. Additionally, a panel discussion was organised with the participation of representatives from the OTS member states- Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, representing their respective institutions and organisations. The organisation of the panel discussions was supported by the Association of Cybersecurity Organisations of Azerbaijan (ACOA), represented by Chairman of ACOA’s Board Elvin Balajanov and ACOA’s Secretary-General Fidan Ahmadova. The Chairman of ACOA’s Board delivered a speech during the panel, providing information on the steps taken to ensure cybersecurity in the Republic of Azerbaijan, activities of ACOA in this field, as well as the past and planned activities aimed at expanding cooperation with OTS member states.

As noted, within the framework of the ongoing series of events in Ankara until May 19, cybersecurity training sessions and CTF competition are being organised for students and young people. In addition to participants from the Republic of Turkey, students and youth from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan are also taking part in the training sessions and CTF competition.

It should be noted that the next event aimed at expanding cooperation in the field of cybersecurity within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) - the III National Cybersecurity Forum, will be organised by ACOA in Baku on June 1 of this year. For more details, please visit: https://cyberforum.az