Azerbaijan notes increase in gaps in government agencies

The gaps in information security in Azerbaijan's government agencies have sharply increased, Azernews reports.

As a result of audits/penetration tests, and monitoring conducted by the Special Communication and Information Security State Service (SCISSS) in January of this year, security gaps were identified in 68 information resources of government agencies, and relevant notifications were sent to the government agencies for their elimination.

This represents an 84% increase compared to the indicator from a year ago.

It is worth noting that in 2023, security gaps were identified in 697 information resources of government agencies, which is 142 more or 26% higher compared to the indicator for 2022.

It is significant to note that Azerbaijan is constantly taking measures to prevent cyber threats and threats related to information security. In 2021, Azerbaijan ranked 40th among 194 countries in the Global Cybersecurity Index.

The cyber security sector is included in Azerbaijan's development strategy until 2030. Earlier, Azerbaijan approved a strategy on information security and cyber security for 2023-2027.

According to this strategy, Azerbaijan is looking to establish cybersecurity requirements for the national digital airspace, determine tax incentives and other mandatory payments in connection with the development of information security technologies, improve personal data protection, establish consulting platforms on information security and cybersecurity, take measures to prepare national resources in the field of cryptographic protection, and develop an organizational structure plan for the establishment of cyber organisations.

In addition, a plan will be developed to establish an organisational structure, risk assessment, and management plan to secure and manage critical information infrastructure in emergencies and war, and an electronic information system called "Cybercrime" will be formed.

Criteria and indicators for detecting and measuring incidents and critical cases will also be defined, and an information security risk register will be maintained.

The Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, the State Service for Special Communication and Information Security, and the Central Bank of Azerbaijan are working on the development and protection of state digital systems and web resources.

The Central Bank of Azerbaijan is also working on a cybersecurity strategy for Azerbaijani banks, which is scheduled for implementation this year. The government is also working on establishing a Government Cloud (G-cloud) in Azerbaijan and providing cloud services to public, private, and foreign entities.