Shorouk Express
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 9. Some structures
in Azerbaijan fail to meet even the minimal requirements for
critical information infrastructure, raising concerns over
potential cascading effects, Davud Rustamov, head of the National
Cybersecurity Center at the State Security Service, said at the “A
New Playground for Cybercriminals: Smart Cities” panel at the CIDC
2025 festival, Trend reports.
“The impact of attacks is not limited to a single
infrastructure; it can trigger a broader cascade effect. Smart
cities can influence each other, and even the infrastructure of
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can affect that of large
corporations,” Rustamov explained.
He noted that under Europe’s NIS2 directive, SMEs are already
considered part of critical infrastructure.
“In Azerbaijan, currently only large businesses are classified
in this category, but this does not mean that attacks on smaller
entities will not impact larger organizations,” he said.
Rustamov emphasized that Azerbaijan has strong state policies
and significant investments related to smart cities, and
integration is progressing rapidly.
“However, measures to counter threats must be established
promptly. This year, when evaluating compliance with general
requirements for critical information infrastructures, we found
that these requirements are minimal, and unfortunately, some
structures do not even meet these minimal standards. We also
encounter entities without proper specialization or the ability to
provide accurate cybersecurity recommendations,” he said.
Davud Rustamov added that ensuring the security of smart cities
requires trained specialists and qualified personnel.
“I believe the Ministry of Science and Education, as well as
relevant academic institutions, should take the initiative in this
area. It is encouraging that the private sector is also showing
interest,” Rustamov said.
The official further highlighted that the security of SCADA
systems receives insufficient attention.
“Reports from 2022 and 2023 barely addressed this issue.
Analyses show that 35 percent of attacks can affect other
infrastructure systems, proving that the cascade effect is real,”
he concluded.
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