The battle for dominance amongst cyber power countries has never been more intense in the past few years. In this article, we bring to you the latest rank of countries by cyber power and what it means if you’re living in those countries.
What Is Cyber Power?
Cyber power describes how an entity exerts dominance in cyberspace through the means of cutting-edge digital technologies. Governments commonly wield cyber power to gain advantages in military, economic, political, and international relations.
With that said, non-government organizations can also exert cyber power to their advantage. For example, a digitalized structure of inter-connected trade players gives them an edge in economic cyberspace.
In short, cyber power gives an overwhelming advantage against others that are lacking in cyber technologies. It enables the entity to achieve targeted goals more efficiently and at a lower cost.
What Is a Cyber Power Country?
So, what is a cyber power country and how is one defined as such?
We can all agree that a cyber country is a nation that exhibits strong cyber power in defense, military, economy, and intelligence.
It’s possible for a country to be lopsided in where it deploys cyber power. For example, a country can have an excessively strong cyber presence in the military space but is severely lacking in the civilian economy.
Therefore, it isn’t out of the norm to have a leading cyber power nation be associated as such for its ability to take on conflicts by launching espionage, sabotage, or an all-out attack in cyberspace. Similarly, a country’s ability to defend against such cyberattacks also affects its standing as a cyber power nation.
The ability to take out an enemy’s military infrastructure by disabling it digitally changes the dynamics of conflicts involving cyber power countries.
And that’s not all. A powerful cyber power country is also equally dominant in its internal surveillance. It will have no qualms to monitor citizens’ activities on the Internet and nip any perceived threats in the bud.
Top 5 Countries That Have The Greatest Cyber Power
There isn’t a single standard to determine the rank of countries by cyber power. In the latest study, different factors are taken in to determine how each country is ranked by cyber power. Here are the latest powerhouses that are above the rest in terms of cyber power.
1. United States
There’s no surprise it’s at the top spot in the rank of countries by cyber power. The United States continues its dominance as a leading cyber power nation. The US exhibits balanced and formidable strength in all categories that are evaluated. This includes offensive capabilities, defense, resilience, and intelligence.
Given that the United States has been building its cyber power capability since the 90s, it’s only natural that it is still holding off challenges from China, which is gaining serious momentum. One factor that gives the US a huge lead is how the government, industries, and educational institutions are systematically connected within the cyber ecosystem.
2. China
China’s rise as a cyber power country is spurred by the rapid digitalization of its industries. As it develops into a global economic powerhouse, industries embrace cyber technologies and have never looked back since.
While China lags the US in the overall ranking, it edges the latter in commerce and surveillance. China has sought to expand its economical standing by all means, including industrial espionage. Its governing party is also known for establishing blanket internet surveillance measures on its citizens.
3. United Kingdom
The UK is a strong candidate in the race to be one of the leading cyber power countries. Its strength is concentrated on cyber defense and offense. Since 2011, the UK has developed National Cyber Security Strategies that focus on building up resilience against cyberattacks.
In recent developments, the UK has shifted its priority to encompass other areas apart from cyber resilience. While it lacks the scale of investment of the US, the UK is focusing on collaboration amongst government, educational institutions, and private entities in its bid to strengthen its overall cyber capabilities.
4. Russia
Russia is no stranger to cyber warfare. Its armies of hackers have successfully breached the US’s defense in the past. In fact, Russia is second to none as far as cyber-surveillance is concerned. The country has zealously concentrated on its cyber infrastructure as it continues to stem the growing powers of its western neighbors.
5. The Netherlands
The Netherlands’ prominence in cyber offensive capability came to the limelight as a report of successful infiltration of Russian hacker group Cozy Bear surfaced in 2014. The European nation has demonstrated that it’s capable of achieving a feat deemed difficult in the cyber-espionage world.
Besides that, the Netherlands is also more than capable of fending off online attacks from other nations. Its cyber defense capability is ranked an impressive second amongst other major cyber power nations.
How to Protect Your Privacy If You Live In One of These Countries
By wielding such powerful cyber capabilities, these cyber power countries not only have what it takes to infiltrate other countries but also intrude on your privacy with high-tech surveillance measures. If you’re living in such countries, you’re likely to be under the watchful eyes of the government.
To retain your online privacy, you’ll need to use a VPN. A VPN provides an encrypted channel for your devices and hides your public IP address. When you’re connected to a VPN, you practically disappear from the government’s tracking mechanism.
However, not all VPNs offer the same degree of protection and stealth. You’ll need one that is proven to be reliable and that’s where ClearVPN comes in. ClearVPN uses military-grade encryption and proprietary protocol to ensure your privacy is protected at all times.
How to Use ClearVPN
- Install ClearVPN on your device (we use macOS as an example in the picture below)
- Open the app and activate Browse Privately and Securely shortcut.
- That’s it! Your online journey is protected and private.
Let’s Wrap It Up
As powerful countries jostle for dominance in cyberspace, it is inevitable that common folks suffer from privacy concerns. If privacy is a priority, you’ll need a VPN that gets you into stealth mode.
