On February 6, 2025, the Association of Cybersecurity Organizations of Azerbaijan (ACOA) organized a roundtable meeting dedicated to the topic of “Cybersecurity in the Telecommunications Sector.” The primary objective of the meeting was to discuss the challenges and opportunities in ensuring cybersecurity within the telecommunications sector, which is recognized as a critical information infrastructure area. The discussions focused on existing capabilities, emerging challenges, potential threats, and strategies for mitigating them.

The multi-stakeholder meeting brought together representatives and senior officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the State Security Service, the Special Communication and Information Security State Service, the Electronic Security Service (ESS) under the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, the Information and Communication Technologies Agency (ICTA), the Innovation and Digital Development Agency, the Media Development Agency, and the Audiovisual Council. Additionally, key representatives from relevant telecommunications providers and operators, as well as member companies of ACOA, participated in the discussions. 

The roundtable meeting focused on ensuring cybersecurity in the telecommunications sector, including assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of measures undertaken by relevant telecommunications operators and providers to combat existing cyber threats. Discussions also covered the application of existing regulatory mechanisms to ensure the security of critical information infrastructure, the implementation of relevant strategies and action plans, and mechanisms for countering hybrid threats, including cyber threats and disinformation. Additionally, participants addressed issues related to managing cyber incidents in the telecommunications sector, strengthening human capital, facilitating information exchange and cooperation, and conducting awareness-raising activities. Several proposals were put forward to enhance these efforts.

 During the meeting, the cyber threat information exchange platform created by the National Cybersecurity Center of the State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which is responsible for ensuring the security of critical information infrastructure, including the fight against cyber threats, was presented to the participants, along with its capabilities.

In addition to contributing to the exchange of information and experience among the stakeholders, the meeting was noted to have promoted strengthened collaboration, as well as the application of a unified approach. It also provided an opportunity for more effective action plans to be developed for discussing and prioritizing existing cyber threats and risks, as well as managing them efficiently. Therefore, it was emphasized that organizing similar sector-specific meetings regularly in the future would be beneficial.