How Technion and Cympire Built Azerbaijan’s Cybersecurity Workforce with a Cloud-Based Cyber Range
Executive Summary
Azerbaijan Cybersecurity Workforce Development is critical for national security.
The Government of Azerbaijan partnered with Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and Cympire to build a national Cyber Security Training Center.
Using Cympire’s cloud-based cyber range platform and Technion’s academic expertise, the project aims to train over 1,000 cybersecurity professionals, strengthening Azerbaijan’s cyber resilience.
“The new center we have established is an important project to support the information security of Azerbaijan, and specialists to be trained here will contribute to the development of this area not only in Azerbaijan, but also in the Region.”
Professor Uri Sivan, President of Technion
The Challenge: Building a Skilled Cyber Workforce in Azerbaijan
Cyberattacks on national infrastructure are increasing worldwide. Therefore, the Government of Azerbaijan launched a cybersecurity workforce development strategy to stay ahead.
The goals were clear:
- Establish a National Cybersecurity Training Center.
- Create a pipeline of skilled cybersecurity professionals for government and industry.
- Deploy a flexible cyber range platform for large-scale, hands-on training.
This strategic investment is vital for ensuring Azerbaijan’s digital resilience and national defense.
The Solution: Technology, Partnership, and Hands-On Training
In March 2022, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, in collaboration with Technion and Cympire, officially launched the Azerbaijan Cyber Security Training Center.
The Center quickly became a beacon of innovation in cybersecurity education.
Key Solution Components:
- Cloud-Based Cyber Range:
Cympire’s platform allowed flexible, remote access to training environments without needing heavy infrastructure investments. - Curriculum Transformation:
Through Cympire’s Cyber Studio, professors easily customized lessons, turning traditional learning into interactive, hands-on training. - Certification:
Students received official Technion certificates, providing strong credentials for cybersecurity careers.
In addition, Cympire’s expertise in scaling cyber education initiatives ensured that training aligned with real-world, mission-critical scenarios.
Implementation: Fast Deployment, Scalable Impact
The Cyber Range platform allowed the team to:
- Deploy and customize scenarios rapidly.
- Train cybersecurity teams in both Red Team and Blue Team operations.
- Assess skills and progress in real-time.
- Scale the program as demand grew across different sectors.
Azerbaijan Cybersecurity Workforce Development moved from concept to execution faster than expected, setting a regional benchmark.
The Impact: Growing Cyber Resilience Across Azerbaijan
The Azerbaijan Cyber Security Training Center has already achieved impressive outcomes:
- Over 1,000 cybersecurity professionals targeted for graduation.
- Trainees recruited into Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) and government cybersecurity teams.
- Strong collaboration between academia, government, and private industry.
- Increased national awareness of cybersecurity threats and solutions.
“Today, together with Technion University, we have laid the foundation for cooperation in the field of cybersecurity, which is one of the most important areas for our country. Students who will study under the program, based on the methodology of the university, will be trained as competitive specialists in the labor market. We are very pleased to cooperate with Technion University, one of the world’s leading educational institutions and knowledge centers, to bring international knowledge and experience in the field of cyber security to our country!”
Rashad Nabiyev, Azerbaijan Minister of Digital Development and Transport
This project showcases how a strong commitment to cybersecurity workforce development can rapidly strengthen a nation’s defense capabilities.
Future Outlook: Scaling Azerbaijan’s Cybersecurity Leadership
Building on early success, Azerbaijan plans to expand the Cyber Security Training Center.
New initiatives will target broader industry engagement, advanced specialization tracks, and ongoing adaptation to emerging cyber threats.
Through continuous investment in cybersecurity workforce development, Azerbaijan is positioning itself as a leader in national cyber resilience.
“We are very proud of the work we are doing, together with the Technion and Cympire, to improve the security of Azerbaijan and strengthen their national resilience. The new
Hon. Gabi Ashkenazi, Former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Foreign Minister of Israel, and Cympire Strategic Advisor
Cyber Center is an important and innovative public-private partnership and we look forward to creating more of these public-private initiatives to enhance cybersecurity across critical infrastructure in the region and beyond.”
