The Covid-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted the best way societies function. As the pandemic began to accentuate in April 2020, Akamai saw a 30 percent increase in web traffic. From teleworking to distant learning, technology plays a key role in keeping people connected. For the digital age to comprehend its potential, a trusted and secure cyberspace have to be key. A 12 months after the World Health Organization declared the Covid-19 pandemic and developed latest management and vaccination systems, our reliance on digital technologies continues to grow. And since the world connects, it’s obligatory to make sure a connected, secure and trustworthy cyberspace.
Awareness of cybersecurity threats is increasing. The ongoing pandemic has created a scarcity of trust, especially online. The data collected in GCI is the start of a broader discussion on cybersecurity, around which local context and observations are crucial in shaping further actions.
To help create a trusted and secure cyberspace post-pandemic, the International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) Global Cybersecurity Index can provide a start line for understanding how the pandemic has impacted cybersecurity efforts and the way countries are working to deal with cybersecurity and trust.
The Global Cybersecurity Index is assessed based on five pillars – legal measures, technical measures, organizational measures, capability development and cooperation. For each pillar, country commitment was assessed through a question-based online survey to gather supporting evidence.
The index ranks countries based on 82 questions developed by a panel of experts. ITU members are asked to nominate an individual to participate on this process, and the organization conducts research into sources of knowledge about countries which have chosen not to participate in the sport. All ITU members are then rated on a 100-point scale.
The higher the rank, the more fundamentally the country is committed to cybersecurity defense. However, that is an assessment of how secure a nation is when it comes to computers.
The report starts with excellent news: the median index result for 2020 is 9.5%. higher than within the 2018 edition. Small nations also performed well and there have been some notable advances.
Globally, the United States topped the list with 100 points, followed by the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia with 99.54 points each. Estonia in third place. South Korea, Singapore and Spain were fourth, while Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia were fifth, followed by Lithuania, Japan, Canada, France and India.
Another positive finding from the Index is that the variety of governments which have established a national Computer Emergency Response Team (CIRT) has increased by 11 percent since 2018, meaning about half of ITU members now have a CIRT (or CERT) . Sixty-four percent have adopted a national cybersecurity strategy (NCS), up from 58 percent, and 70 percent conducted cybersecurity awareness campaigns in 2020 (up from 66 percent).
Thirty-eight countries scored 90 percent or higher.
The index also took into consideration the necessity for individual training programs in various sectors. Despite a worldwide shortage of half one million cybersecurity professionals projected for 2021, the report points out that countries are usually not developing sector-specific training. More than half should not have programs tailored to specific sectors or professions – equivalent to law enforcement, legal entities, SMEs, private firms and government officials.
Source: ITU Global Cybersecurity Index 2020
