Cybersecurity experts urge VPN use after Telecom Armenia–AzerTelecom transit d

Armenian cybersecurity experts are urging internet users to strengthen their digital privacy protections following a newly announced agreement between Team Telecom Armenia and Azerbaijan’s AzerTelecom that will facilitate the commercial transit of internet traffic between the two countries.

Karen Vrtanesyan, an information security expert, said the agreement underscores the importance of using virtual private networks (VPNs) to safeguard online communications and reduce the risk of unauthorized access to internet traffic and associated metadata.

“I would recommend that all internet users in Armenia utilize a VPN,” Vrtanesyan told Panorama.am. “Without a VPN, there is no assurance that data transmitted online will remain inaccessible to third parties, whether the Armenian authorities, internet service providers, or other entities.”

Vrtanesyan added that he intends to discontinue a secondary mobile phone number he previously maintained with Beeline, the telecommunications operator that later became Team Telecom Armenia.

The remarks come after Team Telecom Armenia announced a bilateral agreement with AzerTelecom aimed at expanding regional internet transit services. The company said the partnership will increase the geographic reach of its international traffic routes and enable the delivery of transit connectivity to Azerbaijan through its own infrastructure.

According to Team Telecom Armenia, the agreement is intended to diversify regional telecommunications routes, enhance network resilience, and promote greater cooperation within the telecommunications sector.

Cybersecurity expert Ruben Muradyan has also expressed concerns about the implications of the arrangement. While noting that the agreement will facilitate the transit of internet traffic from Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave via Armenian infrastructure, he argued that the deal could also result in Armenian internet traffic being routed through AzerTelecom-operated networks.

Muradyan said such a scenario could expose metadata associated with Armenian users’ online activity, allowing network operators to analyze traffic patterns and build behavioral profiles. He stressed that the issue is not direct access to the content of communications but rather access to connection data, which can reveal significant information about users’ digital habits and relationships.

He further warned that individuals and organizations using fixed IP addresses could face elevated privacy risks, as those identifiers can often be linked to specific users or institutions with relative ease.

Muradyan recommended that public officials, journalists, civil society representatives, and employees of strategically important companies consider implementing VPN services across all devices as a routine security measure.

A VPN encrypts internet traffic and routes it through a secure intermediary server, helping shield users’ online activity from interception and limiting the visibility of browsing and connection data to network operators and other third parties.