India ranks 23rd among 165 nations in cyber security index

India is ranked a high 23rd out of 165 nations in a global index that measures the commitment of nations across the world to cyber security. The second Global Cyber security Index (GCI), released by the UN telecommunications agency International Telecommunication Union (ITU), said only about half of all countries have a cyber security strategy or are in the process of developing one and urged more countries to consider national policies to protect against cyber crime.

India is ranked 23rd on the index with a score of 0.683 and has been listed in the "maturing" category, which refers to 77 countries that have developed complex commitments to cyber security and engage in cyber security programmes and initiatives. The index has been topped by Singapore with a 0.925 score.

The reports said about 38 per cent of countries have a published cyber security strategy and an additional 12 per cent of governments are in the process of developing one. The agency said more effort is needed in this critical area, particularly since it conveys that governments consider digital risks high priority. "Cyber security is an ecosystem where laws, organisations, skills, cooperation and technical implementation need to be in harmony to be most effective," stated the report, adding that cyber security is "becoming more and more relevant in the minds of countries? decision makers."

The top 10 most committed countries to cyber security are Singapore, United States, Malaysia, Oman, Estonia, Mauritius, Australia, Georgia, France and Canada. Russia is ranked 11th. In addition to showing the overall cyber security commitment of ITU's 193 member-states, the Index also shows the improvement and strengthening of the five pillars of the ITU Global Cyber security Agenda: legal, technical, organisational, capacity building and international cooperation. The threat is particularly worrying as in 2016, according to ITU, nearly one per cent of all emails sent were essentially malicious attacks, the highest rate in recent years.

Last month, a cyber attack crippled tens of thousands of machines around the world. It is unclear who was behind the attack. "While the impact generated by cyberattacks, such as those carried out as recently as 27 June 2017, may not be eliminated completely, prevention and mitigation measures to reduce the risks posed by cyber-related threats can and should always be put in place," said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. The findings show that there is "space for further improvement in cooperation" at all levels, according to the report, which advocates for encouraging governments to consider national policies that take into account cyber security and encourage private citizens to make smart decisions online.