(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM)) ABU DHABI, 30th June, 2021 (WAM) -- The UAE came in fifth in the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2020, issued by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialised agency for information and communication technologies.

In a competition involving 193 countries, the UAE jumped 33 places from its previous ranking, underscoring its advanced awareness of the vitality of cybersecurity.

The GCI is a trusted reference that measures the commitment of countries to cybersecurity at a global level – to raise awareness of the importance and different dimensions of the issue. Each country's level of development is analysed within five categories: Legal Measures, Technical Measures, Organisational Measures, Capacity Building and Cooperation.

Dr. Mohamed Hamad Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity at the UAE Government, stated that leading global ranking is the outcome of the directives and vision of the UAE's leadership to establish an advanced digital infrastructure, as part of the country's preparations for the next 50 years.

The UAE's leading position in the index is the fruit of the UAE's digitisation strategies and policies, and the integrated and smart operational ecosystem, which helped bolster performance across all sectors, he added.

Al Kuwaiti pointed out that this achievement would not have been possible without the cooperation of local entities, the coordination between public and private entities, and the high level of efficiency achieved by national cadres.

This success is an important addition to the UAE's impressive track record in cybersecurity, which includes establishing the UAE Cybersecurity Council, as well as Electronic Federal Network (FEDNet) and the UAE Smart Cloud, supported by several e-safety initiatives, digital citizenship certificates and cybersecurity strategies.

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