According to a recent study by the Atlas VPN team, the United States, United Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia lead in commitment to cybersecurity.
As technologies continue to evolve, governments around the world must face the reality of cyber threats and adapt their security practices. A study reports on countries’ scores on the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI), varying cybersecurity training and practices, and additional statistics which help to create a fuller picture of the global relationship to cybersecurity.
A GCI score is given by evaluating each country’s commitment to legal, technical, organizational, capacity development, and cooperation indicators. The United States earned a perfect score of 100, getting all 20 points in each GCI indicator. However, while the US has the most cybersecurity resources, the latest cyberattacks on Americans have shown room for improvement.
The United Kingdom follows behind, scoring 99.54 points in GCI. The score indicates that the UK has to employ more computer incident response teams, enabling a country to respond to incidents at the national level using a centralized contact point and promote quick and systematic action.
Saudi Arabia shares second place, getting the same score of 99.54 as the UK. While being one of the fastest developing countries, Saudi Arabia has placed great importance on cybersecurity.
Estonia takes the fourth slot as they scored 99.48, losing just half a point in the capacity development indicator. Estonia has become one of the heavyweights in cybersecurity with a high-functioning central system for monitoring, reporting, and resolving incidents.
The Republic of Korea, Singapore, and Spain all share fifth place, scoring 98.52 points.
Cybersecurity writer and researcher at Atlas VPN William Sword shares his thoughts on the current cybersecurity landscape, “Beyond co-operating within countries, Global Cybersecurity Index leaders could help less developed countries address cybersecurity challenges. For example, creating a strategy or sharing good cyber practices can help reach more balanced and robust security against cyber threats.”
Lack of cybersecurity training
One of the reasons why cyber attacks continue to increase is a lack of cybersecurity education and training.
Just 46% of countries provided specific cybersecurity training for the public sector and government officials. Employees in these fields usually work with a lot of sensitive or confidential information, which is why education on cybersecurity is essential.
Meanwhile, 41% of countries provided cybersecurity training to small and medium enterprises or private companies. Businesses often become targets for hackers as the latter can easily profit off of stolen data or ransomware attacks. While more prominent private companies can afford cybersecurity experts, smaller businesses do not have such luxury.
Law enforcement agents received educational cybersecurity programs in only 37% of countries, while only 31% of countries provide training to judicial and legal actors. This training may help officers and executors of the law understand how hackers think, identify the tools that hackers use to commit attacks, and ultimately prevent and protect from future cybercrime.
Beyond co-operating within countries, Global Cybersecurity Index leaders could help less developed countries address cybersecurity challenges. Creating a strategy or sharing good cyber practices can help reach more balanced and robust security against cyber threats.
