BAKU, July 18 — Azerbaijan has made significant progress in building a strong community of cybersecurity professionals, according to Azar Akhadov, head of the Main Department of the State Service for Special Communications and Information Security.
Speaking at an event summarizing the results of the country’s first-ever Bug Bounty program, Akhadov emphasized that the initiative not only uncovered critical vulnerabilities in government information systems but also showcased the potential of ethical hacking as a national asset.
“Thanks to simulated cyberattacks, we identified and quickly addressed weaknesses in our public digital infrastructure,” he said. “The program significantly boosted our ability to proactively defend against real-world threats and reinforced the reliability of our systems.”
Launched on April 15, 2025, the Bug Bounty program offered rewards to ethical hackers and IT experts who successfully detected security flaws in *.GOV.AZ domains. The initiative marked a first for Azerbaijan and signaled a collaborative turn in its approach to digital security.
According to Akhadov, the project not only strengthened the state’s cyber resilience but also revealed a pool of skilled talent that could become future partners in defending Azerbaijan’s digital space. “This is a clear example of how state institutions and the broader tech community can work hand in hand to secure national interests in the digital era,” he said, confirming that similar programs are planned going forward.
The success of the program is being hailed as a milestone in the country’s cybersecurity strategy, illustrating the power of transparency, innovation, and public-private cooperation in facing 21st-century digital threats.
