Vietnam ranks 16th in the Global Cybersecurity Index 2024.
According to the Global Cybersecurity Index 2024 (GCI 2024) report published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on September 12th, Vietnam ranks 16th out of 194 countries and territories worldwide.
The Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) is an initiative of the ITU, the United Nations' specialized agency for information and communication technology. First launched in 2015, this report measures the commitment of 194 ITU member states to cybersecurity, helping them identify areas for improvement and encouraging action through increased awareness of the global cybersecurity landscape.
The report warned of increasingly serious cybersecurity threats, including ransomware attacks targeting government agencies and core industries, causing significant economic damage and paralyzing production. In addition, personal data breaches are also frequent, threatening the privacy of millions of users.
ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin stated: “Trust is paramount in the digital world. The improvement in the Global Cybersecurity Index is a sign that we must focus our efforts on ensuring that everyone, everywhere, can manage security risks in an increasingly complex digital world.”
Vietnam climbed 9 places, reaching 16th position out of 194 countries and territories worldwide.
Countries are grouped into five categories, with Group 1 being the highest group, comprising 46 countries, serving as "examples". The ITU assesses that all Group 1 countries have made significant progress compared to the most recent GCI version in 2021.
With a score of 99.74, Vietnam is one of 46 countries ranked in Group 1 of the ITU's global cybersecurity index, showing improved scores across all five assessed pillars. Vietnam's efforts in developing long-term human resource development projects for cybersecurity have been recognized, along with its achievements in creating an ecosystem for cybersecurity products and services.
According to the report, Vietnam has risen 9 places since the 2021 report was published, reaching 16th out of 194 countries and territories worldwide, ranking 4th in the Asia-Pacific region and 3rd among ASEAN countries in the field of cybersecurity.
In the Asia-Pacific region, Vietnam ranks only behind South Korea (100 points), Indonesia (100 points), and Singapore (99.86 points). Meanwhile, within the ASEAN region, Vietnam ranks only behind Indonesia and Singapore.
The GCI 2024 assesses countries' efforts based on five criteria, reflecting national cybersecurity commitments including: legal, technical, organizational, capacity building, and cooperation. The ITU also changed the assessment methodology to better focus on each country's progress in security commitments and their impact.
Based on the ITU's five assessment criteria, Vietnam achieved a perfect score of 20/20 in four criteria (legal, technical, organizational, and cooperation), except for the capacity development criterion which scored 19.74/20.
Other key findings of GCI 2024
Legal measures are the strongest pillar of cybersecurity for most countries:177 countries have at least one regulation on personal data protection, privacy protection, or violation notification that is in effect or underway.
Computer Incident Response Teams (CIRTs) play a crucial role in national cybersecurity:139 countries have active CIRTs, with varying levels of sophistication, up from 109 in the 2021 index.
National Cybersecurity Strategies (NCS) are becoming more prevalent:132 countries have a National Cybersecurity Strategy as of 2024, up from 107 countries in the 2021 index.
Widespread cybersecurity awareness campaigns have been implemented:Fifty-two countries have undertaken cybersecurity awareness initiatives aimed at the general public, with some also targeting specific demographic groups such as vulnerable populations and minorities, in order to foster a cybersecurity culture and address potential risks.
Incentives for the cybersecurity industry continue to grow:Governments are promoting the cybersecurity industry through incentives, grants, and scholarships, aiming to enhance cybersecurity skills and foster research in the field, with 127 countries reporting some form of cybersecurity-related research and development.
Many countries cooperate on cybersecurity through existing treaties:Ninety-two percent of countries (166) reported being part of an international treaty or equivalent cooperation mechanism to develop cybersecurity capabilities or share information, or both. Putting cybersecurity agreements and frameworks into practice remains challenging.
Development capacity and technical pillars are relatively weak in most countries:Twelve 123 countries reported having training for cybersecurity professionals, up from 105 countries in the 2021 index. Additionally, 110 countries have frameworks for implementing nationally or internationally recognized cybersecurity standards, up from 103 countries in the 2021 index.
Capacity-building initiatives need to be strengthened:Fifteen countries have integrated cybersecurity into their national curricula at some level, but cybersecurity training and awareness-raising vary widely between regions. Developing a strong domestic cybersecurity industry is essential to sustaining progress.
Countries need to focus on protecting children online:While 164 countries have legal measures in place to protect children online, only 94 countries reported related strategies and initiatives, indicating a gap in implementation.
This report aims to better understand countries' commitments to cybersecurity, identify gaps, encourage the integration of best practices, and provide useful insights for countries to improve their cybersecurity posture.
