As part of the “Cyber Sovereignty” conference held in the city of Nakhchivan and dedicated to the “Year of the Constitution and Sovereignty,” the third panel session was titled “National Solutions and the Role of Local Companies in the Security of Critical Information Infrastructure.” The session was moderated by Mr. Rauf Jabarov, Executive Director and Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Association of Cybersecurity Organizations of Azerbaijan (ACOA).

During the panel, participants exchanged views on strengthening the national cybersecurity ecosystem, the role of local IT and cybersecurity companies in securing critical information infrastructure (CII), and the development of domestic products, solutions, and services.

In his remarks, Mr. Rauf Jabarov emphasized the importance of reducing dependency on foreign vendors to ensure cybersecurity in the digital domain. While continuing to utilize international products, he underlined the necessity of integrating domestic solutions and services. He also noted that legislation requires the use of local cybersecurity products and services within critical information infrastructure, making it essential to allocate resources toward the development of national solutions.

Mr. Aydın Gurbanlı, Chief Information Security Officer at Cyberpoint, provided an overview of his company’s activities and highlighted the need for local cybersecurity products tailored to industrial systems. He stressed that for the security of SCADA-type systems, Azerbaijan must invest in the development of homegrown cybersecurity technologies.

Mr. Jeyhun Guliyev, Chairman of the Board of Caspel LLC, praised the role of national solutions and local companies in CII security. He shared insights on the competitiveness and resilience of domestic companies offering security solutions for critical infrastructures.

Mr. Seymur Mammadov, CEO of Simbrella, noted that in light of global trends, including growing isolationism as a response to globalization, reducing reliance on foreign IT products and promoting the use of domestic solutions has become a pressing issue. He added, however, that even technologically advanced countries like the United States cannot fully meet their own IT needs and remain dependent on foreign technologies.

Mr. Vusal Ramazanli, Chief Information Security Officer at B&B Security Alliance, spoke about the added value national solutions can bring to the cybersecurity ecosystem. He shared that his company has already developed several basic solutions and plans to work on more complex systems in the future.

In concluding the panel discussion, Mr. Rauf Jabarov summarized the key points raised and stated that in light of global developments, Azerbaijan should develop a hybrid model that incorporates both international IT products and the implementation and advancement of domestic solutions. He highlighted the importance of developing national cybersecurity applications and also emphasized the need to support the growth of local startups in the field.