In yet another achievement for Qatar, the country has been ranked third best in the region for cyber security on the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2018.

Qatar’s initiatives to maintain cyber security have resulted in the country’s enhanced world ranking where it advanced eight positions on the global landscape, moving up to the 17th place in 2018 from the 25th in 2017, reported Gulf Times.

Qatar Advances in Cybersecurity Global Index and Ranks Third in Arab World and 17 Globally #QNA

— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) April 15, 2019

Cyber security refers to the body of technologies, processes, and practices designed to protect networks, devices, programs, and data from attack, damage, or unauthorized access, according to Digital Guardian.

Cyber security is highly important for governmental, military, corporate, financial, and medical organizations that collect and process unprecedented amounts of data including sensitive information, for which unauthorized access or exposure could lead to harmful consequences.

The GCI 2018, which assesses the level of cybersecurity in as many as 175 countries across the world, is released by the United Nation’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU), according to Qatar Tribune. 

#Qatar Ranks Third in Arab World on Global #Cybersecurity Index 2018 https://t.co/74WgHYmwIP pic.twitter.com/PQaOqlMYvx

— المواصلات والاتصالات (@MOTC_QA) April 15, 2019

Based on the ITU’s Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA), the third version - GCI 2018 - still oversees the level of commitment in five areas: legal measures, technical measures, organizational measures, capacity building, and co-operation.

Qatar has been placed among the top three countries in the Arab region in the GCI 2018, according to The Peninsula.

“Qatar ranks third with a strong legal framework and a robust organizational structure with a National Cybersecurity Strategy (NCS) that has a key focus on securing critical information infrastructure and a National Cybersecurity Committee responsible to implement and drive that Strategy. Their eCrime law integrates a large arsenal of procedural measures,” GCI noted.

According to the GCI 2018, the Top 10 most committed countries globally are: UK, which ranked first; the US, which placed second; and France, third. Positions from four to 10 were taken by Lithuania, Estonia, Singapore, Spain, Malaysia, Norway, Canada, and Australia, respectively.

Previously, Qatar was also declared to be the leader in the Middle East for introducing youth to the Internet and cyber security, according to a survey commissioned by Raytheon Company and the US National Cyber Security Alliance.

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Cover Image Credit: photo for representational purposes only/ Taken from Tulane University