The Global Cybersecurity Capacity Program, which was generously financed by the Korea World Bank Partnership Facility (KWPF) between 2016 and 2019, is one of the key initiatives that the World Bank has taken in an attempt to bridge existing gaps in cybersecurity capacities of its client countries. Thanks to tailored national and regional technical assistance schemes, this Program has helped to strengthen cybersecurity capacities and awareness in six countries, namely Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of North Macedonia in the Western Balkan region, Ghana in West Africa, the Kyrgyz Republic in Central Asia, and Myanmar in Southeast Asia. The objective was to benefit a selected sample of countries globally, especially those preparing or implementing investment projects with potential to integrate financing for cybersecurity.
This project aims to assist selected developing countries in strengthening their national cyber security environment through customized programs of technical assistance and follow-on capacity-building activities, thus engaging the findings of the Chapter 4 of the World Development Report 2016 on Digital Dividends (WDR2016) that promotes open, affordable, and safe internet for all. The program has two phases: The first phase was from 2016 to 2019 and the second phase is ongoing since 2019. Under first program, the following countries have benefited from the assistance: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ghana, Kyrgyz Republic, Myanmar, and North Macedonia. The second Program kicked off in 2019 through the assistance to Kosovo and Serbia, with more countries to be engaged in 2020-2021.
Both programs support the policy dialogue on cyber security, national cyber security assessments and knowledge products, design and implementation of approaches promoting higher cyber resilience and cyber security capacity building, while linking these approaches to existing and (or) planned Bank’s investment lending operations. The main partners in the delivery of technical assistance and capacity building include the Global Cyber Security Center for Development (GCCD) under the Korea Internet Security Agency (KISA) that is responsible for the internet security and internet promotion in the Republic of Korea. Oxford University’s Global Cyber Security Capacity Center has supported selected national cyber security assessments through the deployment of its flagship Cyber-security Maturity Model (CMM) assessments for nations. Both partners are recognized as global leaders in cyber security because of their track record of ‘hands-on’ experience and assistance provided to developing countries. Details of each specific country-level intervention Program could be found under country-specific chapters on the Cybil portal.
The CMM assessments produced under the Program are:
