Only about half of all countries have a cybersecurity strategy or are in the process of developing one, the International Telecommunication Union reported in its second Global Cybersecurity Index.

The Union, part of the United Nations, said about 38 percent of countries have a published cybersecurity strategy and an additional 12 percent of governments are in the process of developing one.

The Index reports that the top 10 most committed countries include three from Asia and the Pacific, two each from Europe and the Americas, and one from Africa, the Arab States, and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

They are, in order:

1. Singapore
2. United States
3. Malaysia
4. Oman
5. Estonia
6. Mauritius
7. Australia
8. Georgia
9. France
10. Canada

Russia ranked 11th.

In addition to showing the overall cybersecurity commitment of 193 countries, the Index also revealed that nearly one per cent of all emails sent were essentially malicious attacks, the highest rate in recent years.