PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is ranked third among 193 countries in terms of its commitment to cybersecurity, according to the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2017.

According to the report released on Thursday, Malaysia achieved a score of 0.89, behind Singapore and the United States.

The report cited Malaysia's creation of the Information Security Certification Body, a department in Cybersecurity Malaysia, as one of the reasons behind its excellent commitment in ensuring a safe cyberspace.

According to Cybersecurity Malaysia CEO Datuk Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab, this is the second time the International Telecommunication Union has conducted such a study.

"The previous one was done in 2014 and produced in early 2015, where Malaysia also ranked third globally.

"Malaysia has maintained its ranking for two consecutive reports," said Dr Amirudin in a WhatsApp reply to The Star.

Countries in the top 10 include Oman, Estonia, Mauritius, Australia, Georgia, France and Canada.

The GCI is a survey that measures the commitment of 193 member states to cybersecurity.

It assesses a country based on five pillars, namely legal, technical, organisational, capacity building, and cooperation.

Launched in 2014, the GCI aims to foster a global culture of cybersecurity.

According to the report, nearly 1% of all emails sent in 2016 were malicious attacks.

Ransomware attackers are demanding more from victims, with the average rising to US$1,000 (RM4,305) from just US$300 (RM1,291) a year before.

In May, the ransomware WannaCry wreaked havoc across 150 countries, causing disruption to companies and even hospitals.

Just a few weeks later in June, another ransomware called NoPetra broke out in Europe, crippling thousands of machines.

The report called for greater cooperation around the world to fend off and prevent such attacks.

The top ten countries are:

1. Singapore (GCI score of 0.92)

2. United States (0.91)

3. Malaysia (0.89)

4. Oman (0.87)

5. Estonia (0.84)

6. Mauritius (0.82)

7. Australia (0.82)

8. Georgia (0.81)

9. France (0.81)

10. Canada (0.81)