Cyberspace is occupied by top nations of the world. Cyber armies belong to these nations for carrying out national objectives through cyber means. The countries that have powerful cyberspace are as follows:
- United States
- China
- United Kingdom
- Russia
- Netherlands
- France
- Germany
- Canada
- Japan
- Australia
Israel is situated at the 11th most powerful position.
According to the researchers, cyber armies come from countries that have strengthened their cyberspace. Countries deploying strong surveilling and monitoring in domestic groups, enhancing National Cyber Defenses, control of the information environment, Foreign Intelligence Collection for national security, domestic industry growth, and defining international cyber norms. Cyber armies need the internet for national welfare and security.
A Cyber Power Country
A cyber power country is any nation that exhibits strong cyber defence in military, security, intelligence, and economy. The countries mentioned above are cyber powerhouses in the world. However, there are certain criteria to be filled for a country to be a cyber powerhouse. They are not only strengthening their cyberspace but also the overall economy. The United States can fulfil all the criteria to be at the top of the power structure but China and Russia consecutively have a massive cyber build-up that could top the US.
According to Harvard researchers, “The US scores highest on five out of seven objectives…China is in the top 5 for every single objective. In recent years, China has invested heavily in the research and development of technologies that allow the country to achieve multiple objectives in cyberspace. The results reflect China’s increasingly dominant position in cyberspace but also highlight the significant gap in capabilities between China and the US in most areas.”
So, even though a country can gain momentum on the National Cyber Power Index, it still needs to invest equally in other aspects of the nation such as economic and social. In this regard, the US tops the highest mark.
Point of Cyber Power Ranking
It can be detected upon various measures. The countries having an infrastructure of accurate cyber-surveillance can main cyber security. However, if the country uses the surveillance infrastructure to spread propaganda that might drag the said nation down on its Cyber Power Index. According to the researchers, “China tops the Growing National Cyber and Technology Competence objective. Along with DPRK (North Korea) and Iran, China is one of only three countries assessed to be pursuing this objective through both legal and illegal means.” So, growth in cyberspace should be for the development of the public.
Cyber Defense
The United States has been developing cyber power since the 90s. However, Russian cybercriminals have breached the US cyber defence quite a few times. Russia is booming in its cyber-surveillance efforts. Russian hacker group Cozy Bear ruptured the cyber security of the Netherlands in 2014. However, the Netherlands took an approach to impressive defence mechanisms against Russian hackers. It only concluded the position of the Netherlands on the columns of the Cyber Power Index. Since 2011, the Uk has built an impenetrable cyber security strategy to counter cyber attacks.
