In 1988, the Association for Computing Machinery of the USA announced November 30 as the International Computer Security Day. The purpose of establishing this day was to remind everyone of the importance of protecting computer information, as well as to focus the attention of hardware and software users and manufacturers on security issues.  
  
On November 30, 1988, a mass epidemic of the "Morris worm" virus was recorded. That’s when the computer experts thought about the need for a comprehensive approach to ensuring information security. Since then, on the initiative of the Association for Computing Machinery, a series of events have been held annually to explore solutions to various information security problems.
            
International Computer Security Day, observed by the world community, is aimed at ensuring reliable protection of information in computer systems and networks, directing the attention of hardware and software manufacturers and users to security problems, implementing measures in this area, and similar purposes. Information security issues are one of the main components of the national security of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The formation of the normative-legal basis in this field is one of the priorities in building an information society.  
   
Azerbaijan joined the international convention, as well as several important laws and normative acts have been adopted in the direction of the formation and development of legislative regulations for ensuring information security in Azerbaijan. In recent years, special attention has been paid to the issues of information protection methods and systems, the education of cyber security research scientists, as well as highly qualified personnel in this field.  
    
Projects implemented by the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport are of particular importance in this direction. Intergovernmental Information for All Program (IFAP) implemented in Azerbaijan with the support of UNESCO is one of them.     
           
Other successful projects in our country such as the centers of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations (ASAN Service), the "Digital Rights Management System" of the Copyright Agency, the National Library and Information Center "Azlibnet" project of the Ministry of Culture, the "Network" centers of the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, Data Center can be considered as the result of the work carried out in this area. 
     
The information security policy of the Republic of Azerbaijan consists of implementing a complex of measures aimed at protecting state, public and private information resources, as well as protecting national interests in the information sphere. In order to ensure national security in the information sphere, the Republic of Azerbaijan develops and strengthens the national system in the field of information protection, as well as state information resources and information infrastructure. The important steps taken in this field in recent years have had a positive effect. 
         
On December 29, 2004, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree to set up an internet network segment for state bodies of the Republic of Azerbaijan and to ensure information security. In accordance with the decree, the connection of all state bodies to the Internet network, the use of the Internet and the hosting service in that network should be provided only by the State Service of Special Communication and Information Security through the segment of the Internet network for state bodies of the Republic of Azerbaijan. 
   
According to the decree, a special domain was set up for state information resources. Thus, the allocation of this domain zone to state institutions under a separate code put an end to uncontrolled registration of domain names belonging to state institutions with different names, increased security, and made it possible to register them with the official state registration mark "gov.az" in accordance with the standards.  
 
Under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the implementation of information and communication technologies in Azerbaijan is given higher priority. Presidential decrees "On establishing a space industry in Azerbaijan and launching telecommunications satellites into orbit" in 2008, and "On the approval of the State Program for creation and development of space industry" in 2009 are clear proof of the due attention paid to the development of this field at the state level. 
          
The Republic of Azerbaijan joined the International Convention on Cybercrime on September 30, 2009. The Budapest Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest, November 23, 2001) has been ratified by 44 countries. 

Like other states, the Republic of Azerbaijan has taken necessary measures regarding the implementation of international legal norms into national legislation within the framework of both universal and regional cooperation to combat cybercrime. In 2008, the Republic of Azerbaijan signed a document on joining this convention at the European Council in Strasbourg. The Convention was approved by the Milli Majlis (National Assembly) of the Republic of Azerbaijan with 5 statements and 4 reservations in 2009. 
           
Protection of the information space of the Republic of Azerbaijan from modern cyber threats is one of the main directions of national security. The "Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan on information security and cyber security for 2023-2027" was approved by the Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated August 28, 2023.

Ensuring information security and cyber security has become a major challenge at both national and international levels in a globalized world. In this activity, the main goal is to protect the interests of the individual, society and the state. Recently, the information space of Azerbaijan, including its constituent parts (information resources and infrastructures owned by state, private and non-governmental institutions, individuals, lifelong information processing contained in these resources, tangible and intangible objects used for these processes and the connections between them) have been facing increasingly sophisticated and technologically multifaceted attacks.  

The practical activities aimed at forming and developing the national ecosystem in the field of cybersecurity have significantly improved our country's position in international rankings. According to the "Global Cybersecurity Index 2020" (GCI) organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Azerbaijan has improved its ranking by 15 points, securing the 40th place with a score of 89.31 out of 194 countries.

Today, the State Service of Special Communication and Information Security of the Republic of Azerbaijan, established by the decree of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on December 22, 2021, ensures the information security of state and government agencies in our country. We believe that the State Service of Special Communication and Information Security will continue to make significant contributions to the reliable provision of information security for our powerful state.
 

Recommended literature:

1. Əliyeva, Yaqut. İnformasiya təhlükəsizliyi və din /Y. Əliyeva; dizayner R. Dadaşov ; Mənəvi Dəyərlərin Təbliği Fondu. - Bakı: TUNA, 2018. - 128 s.
2. Qasımov, Vaqif Əlicavad oğlu. İnformasiya təhlükəsizliyi: kompüter cinayətkarlığı və kiberterrorçuluq /V. Qasımov ; elmi red. R. M. Əliquliyev. - Bakı: Elm, 2007. - 192 s.
3. Beynəlxalq İnformasiya Təhlükəsizliyi gününə həsr olunmuş elmi-praktiki seminarın materialları /Azərb. Milli Elmlər Akademiyası, İnformasiya Texnologiyaları İn-tu ; elmi red. R. M. Əliquliyev, Y. N. İmamverdiyev. - Bakı: İnformasiya texnologiyaları, 2012. - 43 s.
4. Niyazov, Xalid Qüdrət oğlu. Dövlət informasiya siyasətinin aktual məsələləri: [Monoqrafiya] /X. Q. Niyazov ; elmi red. İ. M. Hacıyev ; [red. A. Niyazova ; dizayner M. Əliqızı]. - Bakı: Zərdabi Nəşr MMC, 2022. - 534 s.