Estonia ranks highest in Europe and fifth in the world in cybersecurity, according to the 2017 cybersecurity index, compiled by the International Telecommunication Union.
“Estonia enhanced its cybersecurity commitment after a 2007 attack. This included the introduction of an organisational structure that can respond quickly to attacks as well as a legal act that requires all vital services to maintain a minimal level of cooperation if they are cut off from the Internet. The country also hosts the headquarters of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence,” the report says.
In Europe, Estonia is followed by France, Norway, the UK and the Netherlands. On the global level, the leader in cybersecurity is Singapore, followed by the US, Malaysia, Oman and Estonia.
Integration of cybersecurity on a global scale
First launched in 2014, the goal of the global cybersecurity index is to help foster a global culture of cybersecurity and its integration at the core of ICTs. The index measures the commitment of the members of the International Telecommunication Union towards cybersecurity in order to drive further efforts in the adoption and integration of cybersecurity on a global scale.
The index measures the five pillars of the Global Cybersecurity Agenda – legal, technical, organisational, capacity building and cooperation. The methodology of the index involves questions for each of these pillars asked every member state of the International Telecommunication Union, plus supporting evidence.
Altogether, 134 member states responded to the survey throughout 2016. Members who did not respond were invited to validate responses determined from open-source research. As such, the index covers all 193 members of the International Telecommunication Union.
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Cover image is illustrative (Shutterstock.) Read also: How Estonia became a global heavyweight in cyber security.
