Elements of National Cybersecurity Strategy for Developing Nations

Technology and the internet have seeped into nearly all aspects of commerce and governance, which pose major challenges to individuals, organizations, and governments in so-called “first-world countries”. Recently, many nations have developed comprehensive national cybersecurity strategies in order to address the cyber threats that have been emerging. To supplement this, research centers, international organizations, and even private companies have published suggestions on how to strengthen cyber strategies, which are a major improvement when compared to inadequate recommendations made in the early 2000s. However, when evaluating cyber strategies, it becomes very clear that the developing world, which has fewer cybersecurity professionals and technical resources, lags behind in terms of developing a comprehensive strategy to defend against cyber attacks. Cybersecurity has clearly become a national security issue that impacts the lives of everyone on a daily basis, which makes it increasingly important for policymakers to respond to this growing threat.

This paper reviews the more recent, more effective recommendations and cyber strategies in order to identify 15 critical elements for an all-encompassing, comprehensive national cybersecurity strategy. Additionally, different cybersecurity models are explored and the best practices in national cybersecurity strategy are identified. In short, the support of senior political leadership, designation of a singular cybersecurity authority, and legal frameworks are all necessary for an effective national strategy. Furthermore, the education of the general public of cybersecurity risks, similar to public health, needs to be stressed.Finally, critical infrastructure protection, an exercise program, and protections for civil liberties must be established in order to fully flesh out an effective national cybersecurity strategy.