ITU Releases 5th Edition of Global Cybersecurity Index: India's Tier 1 Status and Emerging Concerns

ITU has released Global Cybersecurity Index. 5th edition(GCI: 5th) categorizing India as tier 1 country among 194 countries based on 83 questions answered by Countries. This years iteration consisted of 5 Tiers (T1 – Role-Modeling, T2 – Advancing, T3 – Establishing, T4 – Evolving & T5 – Building) instead of raking as in previous editions. However, the edition made no changes in 5 pillars (Legal, Technical, Organizational, Capacity Development & Cooperation) set by ITU’s Global Cybersecurity Agenda(GCA).

GCIv5 used a more granular approach, featuring 20 Indicators, 64 Sub-Indicators, and 28 Micro-Indicators, derived from 83 questions. The revision of the GCI questionnaire is an outcome of feedback from member states and an Expert Group, ensuring the continuous refinement of the process. The responses to the questions, provided by the GCI focal points of member states, are meticulously analyzed, scored, and ranked according to the weight assigned to each question.

However, the GCI's methodology has raised some concerns. The index evaluates the existence of cybersecurity measures—whether they are in place, partially in place or in progress, or nonexistent—but does not assess the quality or rigor of these initiatives. This has led to some unexpected tier placements; for instance, countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh have been classified in Tier 1, while nations such as Israel and Canada are placed in Tier 2.

Furthermore, using a Tier based system instead of previously used ranking system might have unforeseen effects. Little variations between the tiers might generate complacency among Tier 1 nations whereas the previous system drove nations to aggressively improve their cybersecurity positions. This stresses the requirement of continuous assessment and improvement of the GCI approach for promoting world cybersecurity.

?