The first panel of the “Cyber Sovereignty” conference, held on 21 May 2025 in the city of Nakhchivan, was dedicated to the topic “Cyber Sovereignty and National Security.” The panel discussions were moderated by Panah Musayev, Chairman of the Board of the Association of Cybersecurity Organizations of Azerbaijan (ACOA).

Elvin Balajanov, a representative of the Cybersecurity Operations Center of the State Security Service, noted that ensuring cyber sovereignty—considered a cornerstone of the country’s digital independence and national security—is among the Center’s top operational priorities. He stated that the Center carries out systematic and continuous activities in several key areas, including combating cyber threats, securing critical information infrastructure, developing regulatory mechanisms, promoting national solutions and technologies, reducing foreign dependency in this field, expanding international cooperation to protect digital sovereignty, advancing human resource capabilities, and supporting scientific research.

Following that, Tural Mammadov, Deputy Head of the Main Department of the Special Communication and Information Security State Service, provided detailed insights into the Service’s activities in the mentioned areas. He discussed countermeasures against cyberattacks targeting state institutions—including incidents of information leakage—highlighting the methodologies employed, which incorporate international best practices. He also shared results achieved and collaborative projects carried out with other institutions, including academic organizations.

Colonel Farman Mammadov, Deputy Head of the Cybersecurity Service of the Ministry of Defence, spoke about the Service’s actions and methodologies in combatting cyber threats and managing cyber incidents. He also addressed the importance of developing and improving the talent pipeline, drawing attention to the strong performance of Azerbaijani officers in international training programs.

Hikmat Mammadov, Head of the Information and Cybersecurity Department at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, presented an overview of the Ministry’s efforts to ensure cyber sovereignty in Azerbaijan. He discussed the Ministry's role in fighting cyber fraud and cybercrime and highlighted its active participation in legislative initiatives and contribution to the development of regulatory documents for the protection of information systems.

It should be noted that the conference, attended by over 150 participants, was organized by the Association of Cybersecurity Organizations of Azerbaijan (ACOA), with the National Cybersecurity Center and Caspel LLC serving as key partners. The event was dedicated to the “Year of Constitution and Sovereignty.”