Balancing security and human rights growing challenge, says official

In the modern world, maintaining a balance between security and human rights is becoming increasingly difficult, said Elvin Balajanov, a representative of the Cybersecurity Operations Center of Azerbaijan's State Security Service (SSS), Report informs.

Speaking during a panel session at the CIDC 2025 – Critical Infrastructure Defence Challenge cybersecurity festival, Balajanov noted that while security means protecting the state, society, life, and the individual, such protection must not undermine human dignity but rather align with it.

"Security should not be seen as the rival of freedom, but rather as its condition for existence. Where there is no security, freedom cannot last. But let's not forget - at the core of security is the human being. And behind every data point is a person's life story," he said.

Balajanov stressed that the balance between ensuring security and protecting human rights is one of the most difficult - yet crucial - issues of the modern era.

"We may not find a definite answer to this question during today's panel, because the question itself is complex. But I hope this discussion will make us reflect and re-evaluate our values. After all, to think and to question is the beginning of freedom, and the first step toward real security," he concluded.