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 cybercrime. 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 top 10 most committed countries to cyber security are Singapore, United States, Malaysia, Oman, Estonia, Mauritius, Australia, Georgia, France and Canada. 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.

(Financial Express)