The Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2024 was released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Key highlights
- The GCI evaluates countries across five key pillars: legal, technical, organizational, capacity development, and cooperation.
- The ‘GCI 2024’ used a new five-tier analysis, a shift that allows a greater focus on each country’s advances with cybersecurity commitments.
- India (98.49 score) has jumped to Tier 1 in when it comes to role-modelling as part of the country’s cybersecurity commitments and resulting impacts.
- The report placed 46 countries in Tier 1, the highest of the five tiers, reserved for “role modelling” countries that demonstrate a strong commitment in all five cybersecurity pillars.
- India topped the chart for adopting measures like legal, technical, capacity development and cooperation as areas of relative strength. Organisational measures was listed as an area of potential growth for the country.
- Worrisome threats highlighted in the report included ransomware attacks targeting government services and other sectors, cyber breaches affecting core industries, costly system outages, and breaches of privacy for individuals and organisations.
- Most countries are either “establishing” (Tier 3) or “evolving” (Tier 4) in terms of cybersecurity.
- The 105 countries in these tiers have largely expanded digital services and connectivity but still need to integrate cybersecurity measures.
- A “cybercapacity gap” – characterised by limitations in skills, staffing, equipment and funding – was evident in many countries and across all regional groups, according to the report.
