Global Cybersecurity index

In news- India is ranked 10th in the Global Cybersecurity Index 2020 (GCI) released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Key updates-

The Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) is a trusted reference that measures the commitment of countries to cybersecurity at a global level – to raise awareness of the importance and different dimensions of the issue.
Each country’s level of development or engagement is assessed along five pillars –

(i) Legal Measures,

(ii) Technical Measures,

(iii) Organizational Measures,

(iv) Capacity Building,

(v) Cooperation – and then aggregated into an overall score.

India has jumped 37 places to be ranked 10th in GCI, 2020.
The third iteration of the GCI was released in 2018 and India was ranked 47.
In this year’s report, India has scored 97.5 in GCI.
It is ranked fourth among Asia-Pacific nations and the rankings have demonstrated India’s success and commitment to cybersecurity.
The US is ranked first with a score of 100 and the UK and Saudi Arabia share the second rank with a score of 99.54 each.
Estonia is ranked third with a global score of 99.48.
South Korea and Singapore scored fourth position and stood at first place in the regional ranking.

International Telecommunication Union (ITU)-

ITU is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for all matters related to information and communication technologies.
It was established on 17 May 1865 as the International Telegraph Union, making it among the oldest international organizations still in operation.
It adopted its current name in 1934 and became a UN specialized agency in January 1949.
It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
Secretary-General is Houlin Zhao.
Its parent organization is the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
The ITU promotes the shared global use of the radio spectrum, facilitates international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, assists in developing and coordinating worldwide technical standards, and works to improve telecommunication infrastructure in the developing world.
There are currently 193 member states of the ITU, including all UN member states except the Republic of Palau.
The most recent member state to join the ITU is South Sudan in 2011.