Nigeria Ranks 47th On Latest Global Cybersecurity Index
TECH DIGEST – Nigeria is ranked 47th out of 182 countries on the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2020 and occupies the fourth position in Africa.
The top three nations in Africa are Mauritius, Tanzania, and Ghana, while Nigeria, Kenya, Benin, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia make up the top 10 countries on the continent.
The GCI is an initiative of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialised agency for Information and Communications Technology.
It was first launched in 2015 by the ITU to measure the commitment of 193 ITU member states and the State of Palestine to cybersecurity.
It was to serve as means to help the member states identify areas of improvement and encourage countries to take action, through raising awareness on the state of cybersecurity worldwide.
The evolution of cybersecurity risks, priorities, and resources has also led GCI to adapt to give an accurate snapshot of cybersecurity measures taken by countries.
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The report said as the COVID-19 pandemic began to take hold in April 2020, Internet traffic increased by 30 per cent. From telecommuting to remote learning, technology played a key role in keeping people connected, and for the digital age to realise its potential, a trusted and safe cyberspace must be key.
According to the report, “global losses due to cybercrime is estimated from as low as $1tn in 2020, to as high as $6tn in 2021,” and there would be 3.5 million to 4 million cybersecurity jobs left unfilled globally in 2021.
Based on the report, the World Economic Forum estimates that approximately one million people go online for the first time each day, and two-thirds of the global population owns a mobile device. And while the advantage of digital technology brings immense economic and societal benefits, cyber risks can quickly erode the benefits of digitalization.
It said that a significant number of countries were yet to develop sector-specific training, and over 50 per cent of countries lack programmes tailored towards specific sectors or professions such as law enforcement, legal actors, small and medium enterprises, private companies, and government officials.
The United States of America ranked first on the GCI, while United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia tied in second position, and Estonia ranked third.
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