Tanzania tops global cybersecurity index
TANZANIA: TANZANIA has been ranked first in Eastern, Southern and Central Africa according to the newly released Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2024.
In the latest GCI rankings, Tanzania has achieved a Tier 1 status in the Role Modelling category, placing it alongside global leaders such as the United States, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Korea.
This top tier is reserved for countries that demonstrate exemplary commitment across all five cyber-security pillars.
The GCI, now in its 5th edition, assesses countries based on five key pillars: Legal, Technical, Organisational, Capacity Development and Cooperation.
Launched in 2015 by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the index is released every four years. This latest edition evaluated the cybersecurity efforts of 194 countries and aims to help nations identify areas for improvement and build capacity in cybersecurity.
In an interview in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) Director General Dr Jabiri Bakari highlighted the country’s commitment to ensuring a safe and secure cyberspace.
He noted that Tanzania’s achievement resulted from extensive preparations conducted between 2023 and 2024.
As the focal point for Tanzania within the ITU, TCRA played a crucial role in documenting the country’s cybersecurity efforts and commitments.
Dr Bakari emphasised that Tanzania has achieved full compliance in Legal, Organisational and Cooperation measures.
This includes the implementation of key laws, the establishment of the Tanzania Computer Emergency Response Team (TZ-CERT) and strong local, regional and international cooperation.
Looking ahead, Dr Bakari said that with continued focus on technical measures and capacity development, Tanzania aims to achieve 100 per cent compliance across all GCI pillars.
He also encouraged cybersecurity practitioners in the country to obtain cybersecurity licenses to enhance visibility and collaboration in the field.
ALSO READ: Positive Technologies, SGU signs cybersecurity deal
Commenting on the report, ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin said, “Building trust in the digital world is paramount. The progress seen in the Global Cybersecurity Index is a sign that we must continue to focus efforts to ensure that everyone, everywhere can safely and securely manage cyber threats in today’s increasingly complex digital landscape.”
Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau, Cosmas Zavazava added, “The Global Cybersecurity Index 2024 shows significant improvements by countries that are implementing essential legal measures, plans, capacity-building initiatives and cooperation frameworks, especially in strengthening incident response capabilities.”
The Tanzania Computer Emergency Response Team (TZ-CERT), established under Section 124 of the Electronic and Postal Act (EPOCA) No. 3/2010 and operating within TCRA, is responsible for coordinating responses to cybersecurity incidents at the national level and collaborating with regional and international entities.
TZ-CERT offers services such as security alerts, warnings and advisory. For more information, visit their website at https://www.tzcert.go.tz.
The primary goal of TZ-CERT is to ensure a high and effective level of network and information security within Tanzania, fostering a culture of cybersecurity for the benefit of the entire community, including government, citizens, consumers, enterprises and public sector organisations.
