Regional information security center to be set up in Azerbaijan
By Nigar Orujova
A regional information security center will be established in Azerbaijan, Communications and Information Technologies Minister Ali Abbasov said on Tuesday at a meeting with students and faculty of the Baku High Oil School.
"The project is planned to be implemented jointly with US company Symantec," Abbasov said. "Negotiations are underway with this company. The project envisages ensuring information security not only in Azerbaijan, but in the entire region."
According to Abbasov, the project will be underway for the next two to three years.
"Today, information security in the country is ensured by the Information Security Agency," he said. "The information security center is operating under the Communication and IT Ministry. Work is currently underway to resolve legislative issues. Amendments and addenda are being made to the existing legal acts."
The ICT sector of Azerbaijan is developing rapidly and 2012 revenues exceeded $1.7 billion, which is 18 percent more than in 2011, Abbasov said.
According to the minister, this rate in previous years was 25-30 percent and the main task is to maintain the figure at 20 percent. While maintaining such a pace, earnings from the sector will reach $8-9 billion by 2020.
Abbasov also touched upon the project on the development of broadband internet throughout the country, implemented with the support of the State Oil Fund. Work on the implementation of the three-year project worth $450 million has already begun.
According to Abbasov, successful implementation of the project will increase the level of Internet penetration to 85 percent from the current 70 percent.
He also noted that the increase of Internet coverage for the population will expand the number of users of electronic services.
"Today, e-services are used by seven percent of the population. By 2020, this figure will reach 100 percent," Abbasov said.
ICT development
Azerbaijan is trying to attain developed countries' level in the ICT sector and secure the leading positions in the region.
2013 was declared the year of information and communication technologies in Azerbaijan in accordance with a presidential decree. The University of Information Technologies, established under a presidential order earlier in February, is expected to start operation in September 2013.
Some 325.3 million manats ($414 million) were invested in the ICT sector in 2012, which accounted for two percent of the total investment in the country's economy.
Moreover, some 103 million manats (about $131 million) were allocated for the implementation of the broadband Internet development project in Azerbaijan in 2013.