Armenian Deputy Defense Minister Ara Nazaryan’s interview to Mediamax

- Mr. Nazaryan, Armenian Defense Ministry has recently started to pay more attention to cyber security issues. What is the reason for that?

- Information technologies is one of the fastest-growing fields in the world and which brings about new types of cyber crimes. Taking into consideration today’s challenges and the security environment in the South Caucasus region, it’s getting obvious that cyber crimes against Armenia should be neutralized, which is possible by constant development of the cyber security system.

- Yerevan Research Institute of Mathematical Machines (YRIMM) set up Cyber Security Excellence Center in spring. What are the main functions of this institution and its development prospects?

-The Defense Ministry of Armenia, YRIMM and Enterprise Incubator Foundation initiated High Tech Cyber Center for further conceptual development and program implementation.

The program is aimed at creating High Tech Cyber Center that will provide high technological solutions and their implementation in the defense system and it will use military servicemen’s professional capacities in a more effective manner during the period of their mandatory military service. 

The main goals of the program are:

- to provide the effective exploitation of the already automated management and special defense system;

- to work out and implement programs for developing knowledge and skills of young people before conscription and implement them on the basis of their qualifications;

- to recruit high technologies specialists for the Defense Ministry system;

- to train and re-train the Defense Ministry personnel;

- to serve as a platform for identifying problems and developing solutions for cyber security in the defense system and play a key role in training and retraining cyber security professionals.

- You lately headed the delegation which had meetings in Microsoft Headquarters in the U.S. What agreements did you reach during the visit ?

- The visit was held within the “Government Security Program” agreement signed by Microsoft and Armenian government. We visited the Microsoft centers for combating cyber crime, data protection as well as innovation.

We met with various Microsoft specialist as well as Vahe Torossian, Corporate Vice President of the company. We discussed Microsoft’s possible support in the training of cyber security experts in Armenian Defense Ministry as well as the elaboration of Armenian cyber security program.

We agreed to clarify the main areas of cyber security program based on Armenia's peculiarities and present them to Microsoft. By the way, Vahe Torossian is visiting Armenia during the second half of October.

- Ensuring of cyber security is considered one of NATO's priorities. Can this sphere be a new collaboration area between NATO and Armenia?

- We have already been cooperating in this area with NATO under Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP).

Moreover, taking into consideration the importance of ensuring cyber security in Armenia, the cooperation can be carried out with various relevant institutions and organizations.

- Armenia-Azerbaijan border and contact line has recently seen tension. Is there a possible threat that the rival will try to hack the cyber system trying to harm Armenia’s network infrastructure?

- There is such a risk, yes. The rival even attempted to attack the above mentioned network infrastructure of Defense Ministry of Armenia but they were prevented in a timely manner. This is also one of the reasons that we pay huge attention to cyber security problems trying to improve continuously.