Better responses to cyber threats discussed at OSCE-supported training courses in Armenia

Two tailored training courses were organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan together with the Armenian Police on 9-20 June 2014 to enhance the capacities of police and other relevant bodies in countering and investigating cybercrimes.

Around 25 participants from different departments of the Police, the Ministry of Defence, and other bodies of the security sector participated in the training delivered by OSCE-invited expert Sanjay Goel from the United States.

“Cyber security is high on the OSCE agenda in line with the participating States’ commitments and obligations,” said Lilian Salaru, Politico-Military Programme Officer at the OSCE Office in Yerevan. “As part of its mandate, the OSCE Office will continue to assist and support the relevant state institutions in enhancing their professional expertise and capabilities in dealing with information security and cybercrimes.”

The training course covers both the fundamentals of information security and advanced approaches in tracing and reacting to cyber-attacks. Participants will gain the technical skills needed for effective security implementation, analyzing cyber incidents and countering threats.

A. Ghalachyan, one of the participants at the course, said: “As well as providing solid theoretical and practical knowledge, the course was important because it brought together representatives from various state agencies. Therefore it was an opportunity to assess the preparedness in the field among different actors and identify ways of co-operation.”

The OSCE Office in Yerevan has been co-operating with the Armenian Police since 2008 with a focus on new approaches in policing service, improving the police education system and strengthening the police-public partnership.