After months of preparation, learning, and fierce competition, the Students’ National Cyberdrill has reached its peak — and Armenia’s first National Student Cyber Team is now officially formed! Please join us in congratulating the three top teams that have earned their place to represent Armenia in international student cybersecurity competitions. 1st Place — Team DedSec Հovhannes Avagyan (Team Lead) – National Polytechnic University of Armenia Maksim Petrosyan – American University of Armenia Adelina Zakharyan – Yerevan State University Artyom Yakovlev – National Polytechnic University of Armenia Jozef Harutyunyan – National Polytechnic University of Armenia 2nd Place — Team ByteForce Serzh Sargsyan (Team Lead) – National Polytechnic University of Armenia Sandro Hakobyan – Yerevan State University Erik Grigoryan – National Polytechnic University of Armenia Hasmik Kilimjyan – American University of Armenia Davit Ohanyan – National Polytechnic University of Armenia 3rd Place — Team DefTheme Milena Yesayan (Team Lead) – Armenian-Russian University Zorayr Siroyan – National Polytechnic University of Armenia Alen Mangasaryan – PicsArt Academy Davit Matiashvili – PicsArt Academy Stepan Khachatryan – University of Management Congratulations once again to all participants for their exceptional dedication and passion.

The National Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign has been launched in public schools across Armenia with the goal of raising cybersecurity awareness among students in grades 6–9, as well as teachers and parents. The campaign officially kicked off on October 31 at the COAF Smart Center, bringing together around 300 students, teachers, and parents from community schools in the Lori region. The initiative is implemented by the Ministry of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia, in cooperation with the Information systems agency of Armenia. Over the course of the campaign, more than 20 regional meetings will be held — some in public schools and others at COAF, TUMO, and Fab Lab educational centers. Each session will involve approximately 300 participants, with a total target of over 6,000 participants nationwide. Minister of High-Tech Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan delivered a keynote address covering topics such as cybersecurity, data protection, artificial intelligence applications, deepfake technologies, and disinformation. The Minister emphasized that cybersecurity is a shared responsibility among students, parents, teachers, professionals, and the Government: “This campaign aims to foster a culture of cybersecurity among both students and adults. Our goal is to make cybersecurity not only a matter of technical knowledge, but also of mindset, responsible behavior, and critical thinking. This initiative will help our citizens become more informed, analytical, and responsible in the digital environment — empowering them to navigate today’s world safely and intelligently,” said Minister Hayrapetyan. The program combines interactive learning methods and real-life examples, making cybersecurity accessible, engaging, and immediately applicable for students. Participants will learn about the importance of cybersecurity in both the global and Armenian contexts, and each session will conclude with discussions on artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and the threat of disinformation. As part of the awareness campaign, informational materials developed by the Minister of High-Tech Industry and experts from AM-CERT will be presented. In addition, participants will take part in interactive discussions, puzzles, and educational games designed to promote critical thinking and responsible online behavior.

For the second time, Armenia is hosting the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) CyberDrill, which brings together representatives of government agencies, private sector companies, and local and international partners to jointly strengthen cyber capabilities. The event was opened by Minister of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, who emphasized: “Implementing effective cybersecurity policies is becoming increasingly important, given the globally expanding and evolving cyber threats.This requires clear and targeted actions, which the Government is undertaking in cooperation with the private sector, industry experts, and international partners,” noted the Minister. Director of the Information systems agency of Armenia, Nerses Yeritsyan, highlighted that the purpose of the platform is to transform security policies into operational systems, standards, and capabilities — enabling Armenia to become safer and digital governance stronger. He noted that such exercises contribute to deepening systematic cooperation, exchanging experience, and developing rapid response capabilities. The initiative also promotes the establishment of a sustainable public-private partnership ecosystem. The ITU CyberDrill has become a platform for international cooperation, helping enhance the skills of specialists working in Armenia’s critical information infrastructures and fostering a culture of collective defense — where every institution and company contributes to strengthening national resilience. Resilience is built through cooperation. By working together, we are building not only secure systems but also a reliable future for our citizens and businesses.

As part of the cybersecurity capacity-building program implemented in cooperation with TUMO Labs, the second Cybersecurity Sprint took place, during which 40 young participants, organized into 10 teams, presented innovative projects in the field of cybersecurity, ranging from tools for detecting data leaks to anti-phishing solutions, educational programs, and more.The winning teams of the sprint were CyberStorm and Crazy Hackers. Congratulations on this important first victory! We are confident this marks just the beginning of your journey in the world of cybersecurity. The Cybersecurity Sprint is only one component of a broader, multi-layered initiative developed jointly with TUMO Labs. The jointly designed cybersecurity education program is an innovative, unique, and practice-oriented model built on four core components: Project-based learning Cybersecurity sprints Cybersecurity bootcamp for “42” school students Cybersecurity self-learning program The Agency remains committed to introducing a cybersecurity education and career pathway that aligns with international standards, with the vision of building a robust ecosystem of top-tier cybersecurity professionals in the country.

The Information Systems Agency of Armenia has launched the first Students National Cyberdrill. This October, students from various universities across Armenia will take part in a nationwide cybersecurity simulation exercise, during which they will solve real cyber incident scenarios. The initiative aims to raise cybersecurity awareness and skills among students. The drill is part of the Agency’s long-term strategy focused on building a secure digital future and developing a new generation of cyber leaders. Participants engage in modeling real-world cyber incidents through interactive, scenario-based learning approaches aligned with Armenia’s digitalization and national cybersecurity agenda.

We are excited to announce that the Information Systems Agency of Armenia has started a collaboration with the internationally renowned "Have I Been Pwned" project. "Have I Been Pwned" is a leading cybersecurity platform that tracks and collects data on online breaches. Its extensive database includes information from over 14 billion compromised accounts. Through this partnership, the system will alert the Agency to any leaks involving state domains, allowing the team to swiftly initiate the cyber incident response process. It will help reduce the risk of data loss, financial loss, operational disruption, and damage to reputation. The automated notification system ensures continuous monitoring of critical infrastructure for leaks, enhancing resilience against cyberattacks and strengthening the security of both Armenia's public and private sector infrastructure. This initiative partners with governments from 37 countries, including the US, Canada, Denmark, Germany, and more, to provide comprehensive monitoring support.