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ITU National Cybersecurity | CIIP Self-Assessment Tool

The ITU National Cybersecurity/CIIP Self-Assessment Tool is a practical initiative to assist ITU Member States who wish to design their national approach for cybersecurity and critical information infrastructure protection (CIIP). The Tool is one of a number of complementary cybersecurity resources that ITU is currently developing as part of a comprehensive cybersecurity toolkit for ITU Member States.

Cybersecurity and CIIP are the shared responsibilities of government, business, other organizations, and individual users who develop, own, provide, manage, service and use information systems and networks (the “participants”). Managing inherent security risks requires the active cooperation of all participants, addressing the security concerns relevant to their roles.

The collective goal is to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from any incidents rapidly, while minimizing damage. In any interconnected system, roles and responsibilities often overlap. Only when all participants share a common understanding of the security objectives, how to achieve them and of their individual roles in the effort, can this collective goal of a safe and secure communications be achieved.

Governments are in a position to lead national efforts to enhance cybersecurity and improve CIIP. The preparation of a national cybersecurity strategy has proven to be a valuable tool for effective and coordinated action.

By establishing a common vision and delineating roles and responsibilities, such a strategy can provide a guide for managing risks inherent in ICT use and addressing cybersecurity and CIIP.

Such a strategy can also provide valuable support for enhanced regional and international cooperation. After a nation has gained valuable domestic experience of addressing cybersecurity and CIIP issues, it can participate more meaningfully and make a more valuable contribution to global cooperative security efforts.

In this regard, the ITU National Cybersecurity/CIIP Self-Assessment Tool aims to assist ITU Member States in developing their national strategy by examining their existing capacities for addressing challenges to cybersecurity and CIIP, identifying their requirements and outlining a national response plan. It is directed at leadership in the policy and management levels of government. The Tool also seeks to produce a snapshot of the current state of national cybersecurity and CIIP efforts, identify goals, and define the roles of the key participants in order to set priorities, establish timeframes and provide metrics.

The ITU, through its Telecommunication Development Sector, provides Member States with the assistance needed to undertake an initial self-assessment, as well as providing relevant support for countries which are in the process of developing and/or reassessing their national cybersecurity strategies.