Countries around the world are improving cybersecurity efforts, but stronger actions are needed to meet evolving cyber-threats, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

The ITU is an agency of the United Nations specialising in matters related to information and communication technologies, which includes releasing a Global Cybersecurity Index that measures the commitment of countries to cybersecurity at a top level.

This latest report has found that, on average, most countries have taken more cybersecurity-related actions and improved their cybersecurity commitments since the last index was released in 2021. 

The report places 46 countries in Tier 1, the highest of the five tiers, reserved for “role modelling” countries that demonstrate a strong commitment across the five cybersecurity pillars, namely legal, technical, organisational, capacity development, and cooperation measures. 

Most countries are either “establishing” (Tier 3) or “evolving” (Tier 4) in terms of cybersecurity. The 105 countries in these tiers have largely expanded digital services and connectivity but still need to integrate cybersecurity measures. 

Legal safeguards are becoming more prevalent, with the findings showing that 177 countries have ​at least one regulation on either personal data protection, privacy protection, or breach notification in force or in progress, and 132 countries report having a National Cybersecurity Strategy as of 2024.

A majority of countries (92%) now also say they are part of an international treaty or comparable cooperation mechanism for cybersecurity capacity development and information sharing.

Meanwhile, 152 countries have conducted cyber-awareness initiatives targeting the general population, and 123 countries reported having training for cybersecurity professionals, up from 105 in 2021.

Raising awareness of cybersecurity remains a key concern as the research shows that most governments are promoting the cybersecurity industry through incentives, grants, and scholarships, aiming to enhance skills and foster research in the field, with 127 countries reporting some form of cybersecurity-related research and development.

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“The Global Cybersecurity Index 2024 shows significant improvements by countries that are implementing essential legal measures, plans, capacity building initiatives, and cooperation frameworks especially in strengthening incident response capabilities,” said Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, director of ITU’s telecommunication development bureau. 

“ITU’s cybersecurity projects and programmes are supporting those national efforts to more effectively manage cyberthreats, and I hope that the progress demonstrated by this latest index encourages countries to do more in developing secure and trustworthy digital systems and networks.”

It’s vital for countries to continue developing their cyber-defences, with research showing a dramatic global increase in cyber-attacks, with education, government, and healthcare sectors being the most affected.

That data shows a 30% YoY increase in cyber attacks globally, reaching 1,636 attacks per organisation per week, with countries in Latin America, Africa, and Europe being hit hard by increasing numbers of cyber-attacks.