1 / 5

On March 23, on the initiative of the NA Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs an international seminar on the theme Cyber Security Sector Development in the Republic of Armenia: from Fragmental Regulations to Strategy was organized in Armenia-Marriott Hotel. The NA deputies, representatives of the RA Government, communication companies, small and medium enterprises, research institutions and higher educational institutions, NGOs and international organizations were invited to the seminar.

Before beginning the seminar by the proposal of the Committee Chairman Koryun Nahapetyan the attendees in one-minute silence honoured the memory of the victims of the horrifying terrorism occurred in Brussels the day before.

Welcoming the participants of the seminar the Committee Chairman Koryun Nahapetyan expressed his gratitude to the Ambassador of Great Britain to the RA and the OSCE Office in Yerevan for showing practical support to the event. He has noted that the seminar has a goal to combine the international and the inner-state experience in a number of directions of the cyber security sphere, organize a joint discussion on the prior issues of that component of the security and outline possible solutions. Koryun Nahapetyan has noted that the Committee has made the problems of the sphere a matter of discussion before, and created a Working Group for the improvement of the legislation in the cyber security. The Committee Chairman has opined that the cyber security is of special importance in terms of strengthening the security system of our state and has added that as quick develop the information technologies, as quick the challenges and threats grow. In his opinion, it is necessary to take measures in provision of information system security, reliable protection of personal data and information, and revision of the practical mechanisms of risk prevention. Assessing the work being implemented in the sphere, Mr Nahapetyan has opined that the events of the cyber security sphere are of episodic character, thus there is necessity of united strategic approach at state level.

In her welcoming speech the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Judith Farnworth highlighted the organization of the seminar and underlined the united fighting of the countries against cyber crime threat.

In his opening speech the Politico/Military Programme Manager of OSCE Office in Yerevan Bernhard Frankl has underlined that the organization of such event testifies to the fact that the RA authorities emphasize the voicing of the problems of the sphere. In his word, the cyber crimes are a threat for the development of the states and are practical steps for confronting the evil. He has informed that the OSCE Office in Yerevan cooperates with the RA Police in fighting against cyber crimes since 2005 and from now on it is ready also to support in all the initiatives directed to the solution of the problems of the sphere. In this context he has especially highlighted the role of the NA Standing Committee.

Within the framework of the theme Cyber Security Issues and Perspectives of the Cyber Security Sector Development the Head of the MELANI Operation and Information Centre Marc Henauer and the Policy Lead for Cyber Crime in the Home Office of the United Kingdom Faiza Tayab-Jones delivered speeches. They talked about cyber security threats and cyber crime, steps taken to the decrease of cyber risks, commented the cyber notions, presented the strategy, the experience and challenges of their countries in fighting the cyber crimes. They also touched upon the statistical data of the cyber crimes, the crimes committed by using the information computer technologies and the necessity of informing the public on decent and secure working through communication.

The Information Security Expert Samvel Martirosyan touched upon the cyber security issues and the public awareness in our country. He has underlined that in this sphere Armenia has its peculiarities. The expert expressed his concern related to the personal data outflow, the lack of public awareness on the personal data protection and the refreshing of the programmes in the educational system. In this context Mr Martirosyan highlighted the activities of the Personal Data Protection Agency, which was set up in Armenia in 2015. The Deputy Head of the RA National Security Service Division Arsen Gabrielyan delivered a speech on systemized and institutional issues of the cyber security sphere.

The Head of Department of e-Procurement System Service and Registration of Participants, Procurement Support Centre of the RA Ministry of Finance Hayk Hovhannisyan presented the problems existing in the internet bank service and the security provision of the RA procurement system and the mechanisms of the threat decrease.

In the second session of the seminar issues on the development of cyber security strategy and legal framework were discussed. Marc Henauer and Faiza Tayab-Jones delivered speeches on the theme. Mr Henauer presented the attempts of the cyber security in a number of countries, and Mrs Tayab-Jones touched upon the problems of the strategy based on the national peculiarities.

The Deputy Minister of Economy of the RA Emil Tarasyan talked about the main provisions of the development of the cyber security strategy in the RA. He touched upon the problem of the relevant specialists' training in the sphere of education, highlighted the approximation of the educational system to the information system and cyber security and the creation of the analytical and educational centres. The Deputy Minister informed that in this issue the RA Government cooperates with the supranational organizations. By Mr Tarasyan's conviction, a coordinated approach is necessary in the development of the strategy.

The Head of Cyber Security Team of Drastamat Kanayan Institute for National Strategic Studies of the RA Ministry of Defense Arman Grigoryan introduced the works and researches done by the Institute in the development of cyber security strategy, and the Head of the Department of the Development of the Legislation and Legal Analysis at the RA Ministry of Justice Bagrat Ghazinyan touched upon the problems of agreeing the legal regulations with the strategy and the development process of the new legislative mechanisms.

At the third session the international experts Marc Henauer and Faiza Tayab-Jones, gave speeches on the issues of governance and coordination in cyber security. The speakers touched upon the cyber crisis and the state effective mechanisms of response against it, the necessity of creation of the body coordinating the cyber security actions, the importance of the coordinated work of all circles of the state in the decrease of the cyber threats and in that format presented the experience of England and Switzerland.

Afterwards the Adviser to Minister-Chief of Government Staff, Director of EKENG CJSC Artur Tunyan introduced the issues of governance and coordination in cyber security in Armenia.

In the Q & A session the international experts and the speakers exchanged thoughts on the information security, fighting against hackers on banking and information bases, personal data protection, development of cyber security standards, methodology and risks of cyber security strategy and other problems of the sphere.

Summing up the results of the seminar and thanking all the participants the Committee Chairman Koryun Nahapetyan considered effective the holding of the seminar in terms of voicing the problems and challenges of the cyber security sphere. Underlining that the cyber security sphere is one of the most important components of our national security and is a priority in terms of the provision of the critical sub-structures' security, Mr Nahapetyan has noted that there are numerous problems needing solution in the sphere. He once again has documented that our country needs united national strategy in this sphere. He highlighted the formation of the educational efficient system, touched upon some problems of legal specification necessity. Koryun Nahapetyan has stated that such discussion will be continuous.