Cybersecurity Capacity Development Will Be Critical to the Digital Transition

On December 3–4, 2024, UN DESA (the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs), in collaboration with the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation, and Communications, the National Statistics Office, and the National Academy of Governance – Mongolia, organized the “Capacity Development Workshop on National Data Governance Framework and Digital Government in Mongolia.”

The workshop will provide a timely opportunity for government officials and other stakeholders to engage in discussions on digital government, data, and data governance, with the objective of strengthening the capacity of public sector employees in relevant governmental organizations to understand how to improve digital government performance and to strategize related initiatives.

G. Gantuya, Head of the Cyber Attack Prevention Department at Public CSIRT/CC, presented the current state of cybersecurity in Mongolia and the actions being implemented by Public CSIRT/CC. Mongolia has been ranked Tier 3 ("Establishing") in the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2024, issued by the International Telecommunication Union. The GCI 2024 differs from its 2020 edition by classifying countries based on a five-level tier system rather than a ranking system. In 2020, Mongolia was ranked 120th out of 194 countries with a score of 26.20; in 2024, the country improved to a score of 56.36, moving up seventeen places to 103rd.

In terms of specific measurement pillars, Mongolia has shown rapid growth in legal, organizational, and capacity-development measures, achieving the average score for countries in the Asia-Pacific region. In the legal pillar, Mongolia nearly reached the maximum score of 20, reflecting continuous improvement in its legal environment since 2021—highlighted by the adoption of the Law on Cyber Security and the Law on Personal Data Protection, along with their accompanying regulations.