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CYBER CAPABILITIES AND NATIONAL POWER: A Net Assessment
CYBER CAPABILITIES AND
NATIONAL POWER:
A Net Assessment
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)
The IISS, founded in , is an independent centre for research, information and
debate on the problems of conict, however caused, that have, or potentially have,
an important military content.
This report sets out a new methodology for assessing cyber power, and then applies
it to 15 states:
Four members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance – the United States, the
United Kingdom, Canada and Australia
Three cyber-capable allies of the Five Eyes states – France, Israel and Japan
Four countries viewed by the Five Eyes and their allies as cyber threats – China,
Russia, Iran and North Korea
Four states at earlier stages in their cyber-power development – India,
Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam
The methodology is broad and principally qualitative, assessing each state’s
capabilities in seven dierent categories. The cyber ecosystem of each state
is analysed, including how it intersects with international security, economic
competition and military aairs.
On that basis the 15 states are divided into three tiers: Tier One is for states with
world-leading strengths across all the categories in the methodology, Tier Two is for
those with world-leading strengths in some of the categories, and Tier Three is for
those with strengths or potential strengths in some of the categories but signicant
weaknesses in others.
The conclusion is that only one state currently merits inclusion in Tier One.
Seven are placed in Tier Two, and seven in Tier Three.
This report is the rst product of a cyber-power project undertaken by the
International Institute for Strategic Studies. Assessments of the cyber capabilities of
many other states will be published in the coming years.
