No country is currently cyber ready, according to a report released today by a public policy research institute examining the maturity and commitment to securing cyber infrastructure and services in over 125 countries.
The report, Cyber Readiness Index 2.0, A Plan for Cyber Readiness: A Baseline and an Index, published by the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, uses over 70 data indicators across seven basic elements: national strategy, incident response, e-crime and law enforcement, information sharing, investment in research and development, diplomacy and trade, and defense and crisis response.
“By applying this actionable blueprint, a country can better understand its Internet-infrastructure dependencies and vulnerabilities and assess its preparedness to cyber risks,” the institute said in a statement.
“The Cyber Readiness Index 1.0 was launched in Australia two years ago and has influenced many countries around the world. We hope the CRI 2.0 has even broader impact,” Melissa Hathaway, principal investigator, said in a statement.
The first Cyber Readiness Index presented a new way of examining the problem of securing national cyber infrastructure “and was designed to spark international discussion and inspire global action to address the economic erosion caused by cyber insecurity,” the report introduction said.
The Potomac Institute said this edition applies an objective methodology to evaluate each country’s maturity and commitment across the seven elements, which can help a country better understand its Internet-infrastructure entanglements and the resulting dependencies and vulnerabilities. It specifically assesses the countries’ levels of preparedness for cyber risks and identifies areas where national leaders can alter or refine their country’s current posture by leveraging or changing laws, policies, standards, market levers, and implementing other initiatives.
“Today, most nations recognize what fast, reliable, and affordable communication systems and Internet-facing services can yield for economic growth. But few consider the exposure and costs of less resilient critical services, theft of corporate proprietary data and state secrets, and the impact of e-fraud and e-crime–all of which lead to economic and national security instability,” the institute said.