Oman is the top-ranked Arab state in the second edition of Global Cybersecurity Index compiled by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialised agency for information and communication technology.
In the global scale, Oman is ranked fourth while Qatar is ranked 25th and the UAE 47th. The leaders are Singapore, the US and Malaysia.
The reported stated that Oman scored highest in the legal and capacity building pillars and it has a robust organisational structure, including a high-level cybersecurity strategy and master plan and comprehensive road map.
The GCI-2017 measures countries’ commitment to cybersecurity and helps them to identify areas for improvement. Through the information collected, the report aims to illustrate the practices in use so that ITU members can identify gaps and implement selected activities suitable to their national environment — with the added benefits of helping to harmonise practices and fostering a global culture of cybersecurity.
Qatar, which is ranked third after Egypt, has been building a cybersecurity culture through campaigns such as Safer internet Day and has spread warnings about online threats, such as fraud and internet scams, via print and social media, the report said.
“The Qatar Cyber Crimes Investigation Centre and Information Security Centre support efforts to safeguard the public and crack down on those who use technology to carry out criminal activities,” the report said.
The first edition of the Global Cybersecurity Index was launched in 2014.
In that report, Oman is ranked third globally, followed by Qatar at eighth, the UAE at 17th and Saudi Arabia at 19th.
Statistics on threats to computer networks are sobering and reflect a shift from the relatively innocuous spam of yesteryear to threats that are more malicious.
Reports state that malicious emails became a weapon of choice for a wide range of cyberattacks during the year used by everyone from state sponsored cyber espionage groups to mass-mailing ransomware gangs. One-in-131 emails sent were malicious, the highest rate in five years.
Ransomware continues to plague businesses and consumers. Attackers are demanding more and more from victims with the average ransom demand in 2016 rising to $1 077, up from $294 a year earlier.
“At ITU, we are committed to making the internet more secure, safer and trustworthy, for the benefit of all,” said Houlin Zhao, ITU Secretary General.
“While the impact generated by cyber-attacks, such as those carried out as recently as June 27, 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. The GCI reaffirms ITU’s commitment to build confidence and security in the use of ICTs,” he said.
In addition to showing the overall cybersecurity commitment of ITU’s 193 members, the index also shows the improvement and strengthening of all GCI indicators, which are defined by the five pillars of the ITU Global Cybersecurity Agenda as: legal, technical, organisational, capacity building and international cooperation.
As the global community rapidly embraces ICTs as key enabler for social and economic development, said Brahima Sanou, Director of the ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau, said that it is vital that cybersecurity is made an integral and indivisible part of the digital transformation.
“We continue to encourage governments to consider national policies that take into account cybersecurity so that everyone can reap the benefits of the online world,” he said.