Baku: The head of department at the Special Communication and Information Security State Service (SCISSS), Tural Mammadov, emphasized the necessity of developing local digital products and strengthening digital sovereignty in Azerbaijan. This statement was made during a cybersecurity event in Baku, highlighting the priorities outlined in the President’s information security strategy.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Mammadov pointed out that a recent incident, which resulted in the shutdown of over 9,000 national resources, should not be attributed solely to a ‘Cloudflare incident’. He stressed that the issue highlights foreign dependency in the private sector and raises concerns about digital sovereignty. A significant number of the affected resources were media platforms, underscoring the need to reassess the nation’s readiness for information warfare.

Mammadov also addressed the financial implications of implementing local solutions, noting that while it requires substantial resources, the state’s policies and SCISSS’s strategy aim to prioritize local protection. Over the past three years, several government agencies have shifted from routing traffic to foreign providers like Cloudflare to utilizing the Azstate network for protection, reflecting a strategic focus on enhancing local security capabilities.