Singapore has topped a global cyber security index released by the United Nations, followed by other UN member states such as the United States, Malaysia, Oman, Estonia, Mauritius, Australia, Georgia, France and Canada, the other top 10 countries. The Index has been released by the UN telecommunications agency International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The moves come against the backdrop of a series of high-profile global cyber attacks over the past two months, such as the WannaCry ransomware attack in May and NotPetya in June.
UN survey shows big gaps in the level of cybersecurity across 193 countries in the world. As per the findings of the Global Cybersecurity Index 2017 (GCI), India ranks 23 out of the 193 member countries when it comes to commitment to cybersecurity. India has been listed in the “maturing category” of the index with a score of 0.683. Around 77 countries have been placed in the maturing category as they have developed complex commitments to cyber security and engage in cybersecurity programmes and initiatives.
The global community is increasingly embracing ICTs as key enabler for social and economic development. The information and communication technologies (ICT) networks, devices and services are increasingly critical for day-to-day life. In 2016, almost half the world used the Internet (3.5 billion users) and according to one estimate, there will be over 12 billion machine-to-machine devices connected to the Internet by 2020.
Yet, just as in the real world, the cyber world is exposed to a variety of security threats that can cause immense damage. In 2016, nearly one percent of all emails sent were essentially malicious attacks, the highest rate in recent years. Ransomware attacks increasingly affected businesses and consumers, with indiscriminate campaigns pushing out massive volumes of malicious emails. Attackers are demanding more and more from victims, with the average ransom demand rising to over 1,000 USD in 2016, up from approximately 300 USD a year earlier. In May 2017, a massive cyberattack caused major disruptions to companies and hospitals in over 150 countries, prompting a call for greater cooperation around the world.
The scale of cybercrime makes it critical for governments to have a robust cybersecurity ecosystem in place to reduce threats and enhance confidence in using electronic communications and services. First launched in 2014, the goal of the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) is to help foster a global culture of cybersecurity and its integration at the core of ICTs. The Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) is a survey that measures the commitment of Member States to cybersecurity in order to raise awareness.
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