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The 'CIDC-2025' Cyber Festival has concluded
On October 9–10 of the current year, the international cybersecurity festival titled “CIDC 2025 – Critical Infrastructure Defence Challenge” was held at the Baku Congress Center. The event was co-organized by State Service of Special Communication and Information Security (SSSCIS) and the State Security Service (SSS) of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The second edition of “CIDC-2025” brought together a total of 2,245 visitors, 934 training participants, 51 teams, and 56 partner organizations.
The main goal of the festival was to foster the exchange of advanced international practices in critical infrastructure protection, information security, digital resilience, and the application of artificial intelligence, as well as to enhance cooperation between the public and private sectors.
The opening ceremony of the cyber festival was attended by heads of government agencies, representatives of international companies, cybersecurity experts, members of academic circles, and young professionals.
Among the keynote speakers at the opening ceremony were:
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Lieutenant General Ilgar Musayev, Head of the SSSCIS
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Farid Hajiyev, Chief of Staff of the Milli Majlis (Parliament of Azerbaijan)
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Elnur Aliyev, First Deputy Minister of Economy
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Samedin Asadov, Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport
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Orkhan Mammadov, Chairman of the Board of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (SMBDA)
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Davud Rustamov, Head of the National Cybersecurity Center of the State Security Service
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Alexandru Esaulenko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Moldova to Azerbaijan
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Representatives of the event’s platinum sponsors.
Among the official partners of “CIDC-2025” were the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan, SOCAR, Innovation and Digital Development Agency, SMBDA, Electronic Security Service, Center for Analysis and Coordination of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4SIM), Azerbaijan Cybersecurity Organizations Association (ACOA), Femmes Digitales, and E-Governance Academy (EGA) of Estonia.
As part of the festival, local and international experts conducted 10 presentations, 5 panel discussions, and 6 free training sessions within the “Hack The Future 2” program, which is the first Cyber School initiative in Azerbaijan.
The Baku Congress Center, equipped with modern technological infrastructure, spacious exhibition areas, and halls with a capacity of up to 3,500 attendees, provided a comfortable and innovative environment for all festival participants.
At the cybersecurity exhibition, 41 local and international companies showcased cutting-edge technologies in information security, risk management, and network protection.
Interactive competitions and quiz sessions were also held for visitors through digital display screens during the exhibition.
The main highlight of the event was the virtual cyber warfare competition, held this year under the theme "Cyber Warfare in Smart Cities."
A total of 25 teams—20 local and 5 international, representing government bodies, critical infrastructures, banks, and the telecommunications sector—participated in the challenge.
At the end of the event, the winners of the "Cyber Warfare in Smart Cities" competition were awarded certificates and cash prizes totaling 30,000 AZN:
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First place (15,000 AZN) – “RedBox” team from AzInTelecom LLC
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Second place (10,000 AZN) – “Cybercell” team from Azercell Telecom
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Third place (5,000 AZN) – “Bir Sec” team from Kapital Bank OJSC
In addition, certificates were awarded to participants of the masterclass courses, as well as to the sponsors and partner organizations by the event organizers.
“CIDC-2025” plays a significant role in strengthening our country’s position as a regional leader in cybersecurity, enhancing the skills of young professionals, and deepening public-private cooperation.
The partnerships established and innovative solutions presented during the festival are expected to significantly contribute to the development of Azerbaijan’s digital security ecosystem.