Announcing the Release of new Cyber Readiness Index Country Profile -- The Netherlands Cyber Readiness at a Glance

WASHINGTON and THE HAGUE, Netherlands, May 15, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies (PIPS) and the Dutch Government are pleased to announce the release of "The Netherlands Cyber Readiness at a Glance," the latest study in a series of country reports assessing national-level preparedness for cyber risks based on the Cyber Readiness Index (CRI) 2.0 methodology. This report provides the most in-depth analysis to date of the Netherlands' current cyber security posture and its efforts to strengthen the country's security and resilience in the face of emerging ICT threats.

According to the CRI 2.0 assessment, the Netherlands is on a path to becoming cyber ready and has aligned its national security priorities with its economic vision. As Melissa Hathaway, CRI principal investigator, explains: "the Netherlands, like many other developed countries, has started to develop multiple plans, policies, and strategies to combat cyber threats, protect the value of their digital investments, preserve their national and economic security, and reach the ambitious goals set forth in their strategies. The publication of its two comprehensive national cyber security strategies, the development of its strong national cyber security architecture with military and intelligence services contributing to a whole-of-nation cyber defense, and its proactive efforts to shape cyber policy discussions in multiple international fora demonstrate that the Netherlands is committed to advancing its cyber readiness. Nonetheless, as cyber threats to the Netherlands continue to grow in scope, volume, and sophistication, it will be essential to accelerate existing civil-military cooperation, increase dedicated funding, clarify the division of responsibilities among actors, and measure the true costs of cyber insecurity to the country."

The report was made possible through funding by the Dutch Government's National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism and includes extensive interviews with Dutch Government officials and other European experts. As Patricia Zorko, the Deputy National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism and Director of the Cyber Security Department, stated: "the CRI analysis states clearly that the Netherlands is on its way to becoming cyber ready and underlines how important it is to continue our efforts to strengthen and mainstream cyber security in the Netherlands. As a major exporter of ICT goods and telecommunication services, the Netherlands is a frontrunner when it comes to cyber security. This gives us great opportunities, but only if the Internet and its underlying infrastructures are secure, resilient, and available."

Mike Swetnam, Chairman of the Board and CEO of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, stated: "the Institute is very proud of the global impact that the CRI methodology is having and we believe that the CRI is becoming the global standard for measuring a country's cyber preparedness and is helping national leaders prioritize cyber security as part of their economic and national security agendas."

The Cyber Readiness Index 2.0 shows that few countries have aligned their national economic vision (digital agenda) with their national security agenda, and seeks to incentivize this alignment by bringing attention to each country's Internet-infrastructure dependencies and vulnerabilities, and the national economic erosion caused by cyber insecurity. The CRI 2.0 builds on the Cyber Readiness Index 1.0 and provides a comprehensive, comparative, experience-based methodology to evaluate countries' commitment and maturity to closing the gap between their current cyber security posture and the national cyber capabilities needed to support their digital future.

The CRI 2.0 methodology is available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish, and is currently being applied to 125 countries. The resulting country reports are based on over seventy unique indicators across seven essential elements to discern operationally ready activities and identify areas for improvement in the following categories: national strategy, incident response, e-crime and law enforcement, information sharing, investment in research and development (R&D), diplomacy and trade, and defense and crisis response.  The CRI country profiles of France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States can be found at the following link: http://www.potomacinstitute.org/academic-centers/cyber-readiness-index.

The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies is an independent, 501(c)(3), not-for-profit public policy research institute. The Institute identifies and shepherds discussion on key science and technology issues facing society. From these discussions, PIPS develops meaningful policy options and ensures their implementation at the intersection of business and government.

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SOURCE Potomac Institute for Policy Studies

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