Azerbaijan has established the National Cybersecurity Agency (NCA) to strengthen the protection of state digital systems and critical infrastructure amid rising cyber threats, particularly attacks of Russian and Iranian origin. The new structure is intended to become a key element of the country's state cyber defense system. This was reported by the Foreign Intelligence Service, according to UNN.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on the creation of the National Cybersecurity Agency (NCA) – a new centralized state structure designed to protect the country from growing digital threats. Among them are hacking operations of Russian and Iranian origin, the report says.
It is noted that the NCA was formed on the basis of the Electronic Security Service and is subordinate to the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport. The agency's competencies include monitoring cyber threats, protecting data centers and critical information infrastructure, supporting the implementation of artificial intelligence technologies, as well as developing the regulatory and legal framework in the field of cybersecurity.
The context for understanding the decree is February 2025, when Azerbaijani media suffered a large-scale cyberattack. Rauf Namazov, Chairman of the Temporary Parliamentary Commission on Countering Foreign Interference and Hybrid Threats, linked it to the Russian group APT29, also known as Cozy Bear, Midnight Blizzard, and The Dukes. According to his assessment, the attack was Moscow's response to Baku's decision to close the "Russian House" cultural center and intentions to cease the operations of the "Sputnik" representative office in the country.
In parallel, Azerbaijan is expanding its technological alliance with the United States. On June 2, the first Azerbaijan-US Economic Dialogue took place in Baku as part of Baku Energy Week. The parties identified cooperation priorities: energy, investment, regional connectivity, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure. Following the visit of the American delegation, commercial agreements worth over $8 billion were signed.
The combination of these steps demonstrates a clear strategy. Baku is forming a centralized cybersecurity model based on the Western pattern to increase the state's resilience to hybrid threats from the Russian Federation. Critical information infrastructure, state digital services, data centers, and the media space are all being brought under protection,
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