Baku: The CIDC 2025 – Critical Infrastructure Defence Challenge cybersecurity festival commenced on October 9 at the Baku Convention Center, organized by Azerbaijan’s Special Communication and Information Security State Service and the State Security Service (SSS).

According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, the second edition of the festival has drawn a diverse audience comprising 2,245 visitors, 934 training participants, 51 teams, and 56 partner organizations. The event also includes public officials, leading experts, and students dedicated to enhancing knowledge and collaboration in the field of cybersecurity.

The primary objective of the festival is to disseminate advanced international practices in critical infrastructure protection, information security, digital stability, and the application of artificial intelligence. It also aims to strengthen collaboration between the public and private sectors in these critical areas.

Spanning two days, the festival will feature a ‘Cyberwar in Smart Cities’ event, alongside 10 presentations from local and international experts, 5 panel discussions, and the Cybersecurity Solutions Expo. Additionally, participants can engage in 6 free trainings as part of the ‘Hack the Future 2’ program.

Panel discussions will focus on critical topics such as ‘A New Playground for Cybercriminals: Smart Cities’, ‘Global Best Practices in Protecting Smart Infrastructures’, ‘CrowdStrike’s Experience Against Digital Sabotage: Is It Possible to Halt a City with a Single Cyberattack?’, and ‘The Dark Side of Technology: Next-Generation SOC Systems Against Cyberattacks on Critical Infrastructure and Social Engineering.’