PUBLISHED: 20 Sep 2024 at 05:52
Thailand has achieved a remarkable leap to 7th place in the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) this year, up from a 44th place ranking in 2020, according to the National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA). This assessment included 194 countries.
The GCI, managed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), categorizes 46 countries as tier 1, with Thailand among them.
This significant improvement boosts business and foreign investor confidence in Thailand’s cybersecurity, a vital element in supporting digital transactions, e-government services, and enhancing the country’s digital competitiveness, according to Digital Economy and Society Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong.
Thailand’s total score surged to 99.22 out of 100, a dramatic increase of 37 places since its 2020 score of 86.5.
The ITU evaluation measured countries across five essential pillars, each worth 20 points: legal, technical, organizational, capacity development, and cooperation measures.
Within Southeast Asia’s tier 1 category, Indonesia holds the top position, followed by Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand in seventh, and Malaysia in tenth.
Tier 1 nations achieved an overall GCI score of at least 95/100, signifying their strong cybersecurity commitment through coordinated, government-led initiatives that establish and implement widely accepted cybersecurity practices across all five pillars.
AVM Amorn Chomchoey, the NCSA secretary-general, stated that the agency has enhanced the nation’s capacity for self-defense against cyber threats, improved preparedness for critical information infrastructure, and increased skills training, along with cybersecurity certification.
He emphasized that Thailand is well-equipped to adapt to emerging threats and bolster its cybersecurity resilience.
Additionally, the NCSA is developing a malware information-sharing platform to facilitate the collection and exchange of threat intelligence among regulators and agencies, providing early warnings for new and unknown attacks. This represents a proactive step in strengthening the nation’s cyber defense strategy.
The ITU study recognizes that cybersecurity challenges have escalated into significant financial burdens for businesses, estimating the average global cost of a data breach at approximately US$4.45 million in 2023.
It also highlighted a rising trend of ransomware attacks targeting government services and critical sectors in various countries.
According to the ITU, these breaches are expected to impact core industries significantly. The increasing scale, frequency, and severity of cybersecurity incidents touch multiple sectors, including education, manufacturing, energy, and IT services.
Furthermore, IT disruptions threaten the integrity and availability of systems, services, and supply chains, aggravating the existing cybersecurity landscape.
