Cross-sector information sharing key to preventing cyberattacks, official says

Cross-sector information sharing is essential to preventing cyberattacks, said Sanan Valizada, head of the National Cybersecurity Agency's Digital Investigations Center.

Report informs that he was speaking at the 12th Investment and Sustainable Development in Microfinance Conference, organized by the Azerbaijan Microfinance Association (AMFA).

He said an instance of information sharing should not automatically be classified as a cyberattack.

"Attack behavior is an entirely different matter. Appropriate measures should be taken in response to actual data leaks and other unethical actions. For example, someone may say they shared and collected certain information with a colleague or through that colleague's system. In reality, however, that information may not be usable. Moreover, when measures to prevent such situations are considered, most of the relevant risks may go unassessed, or the necessary action may not be taken," he said.

Valizada noted that cyberattacks can spread across different sectors.

"For example, when a financial institution is targeted by a cyberattack, other institutions and sectors may face similar attacks simultaneously or shortly afterward. Sometimes, attacking groups target only one sector. However, we have seen attacks on the financial sector subsequently extend to telecommunications and other sectors.

"The key is to organize information sharing both within and across sectors. This should allow threats to be identified in advance and preventive measures to be taken.

"To this end, we, as organizations working in cybersecurity, can and will use the relevant platform. It already includes more than 60 private-sector entities," he said.