Azernews.Az

BAKU – A trend of increasing cybercrime cases has been reported in Azerbaijan in recent years, a National Security Ministry official said Tuesday.

Karim Karimov told an OSCE-supported workshop on cyber security in Baku on Tuesday that the most common crimes include money laundering, credit card theft and joint operation of transnational organized crime groups. Cyber-criminals also attempt to damage information over computer networks, conduct ideological propaganda, spread computer viruses, commit financial fraud, and deliberately spread false information about terror.

Karimov noted that some people affected by banking and financial fraud back down from reporting these crimes, which encourages the outlaws to become even more active. He said it was necessary to conduct public awareness about the problem particularly among youths.

The ministry official said the state program adopted in 1998 was the first document on combating cybercrime passed in Azerbaijan. Furthermore, three articles were supplemented to the country’s Criminal Code in 2000, which vested investigating cybercrime in the National Security Ministry. Then, a special body began to operate under the ministry to process and investigate such crimes.

The two-day workshop aims to help Azerbaijan's government implement the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime by adopting a consistent policy on cybersecurity. Azerbaijan ratified the Convention, which promotes a common criminal policy and international cooperation to combat cybercrime, on July 1.

"This workshop will assist Azerbaijan to safeguard rights and freedoms related to the protection of personal data and privacy so that it can implement the Convention on Cybercrime," said Bilge Cankorel, the head of the OSCE Office in Baku.

"The implementation of the Convention will require many changes, including updating criminal legislation, revising procedures, creating more efficient law enforcement measures and establishing better co-operation with Internet service providers."

The workshop focuses on topics such as international practices and legal frameworks, threats and trends, the involvement of civil society in the field of cybersecurity and government-civil society cooperation.

The workshop brings together representatives of government agencies, international organizations and civil society. It is part of efforts to support OSCE states to fulfill a commitment adopted in 2004 that calls for exchanging information on the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes and identify possible strategies to combat this threat, while ensuring respect for the right to privacy and freedom of opinion and expression.