LONDON: Britain’s International Institute for Strategic Studies has placed Japan on the lowest Tier 3 rank in its recent assessment of 15 countries’ cyber power.

The Tier 3 countries, which have strengths in some areas but significant weaknesses in others, also included India, Indonesia, Iran and North Korea, according to a report by the think tank released Monday.

The United States was the only Tier 1 country, while the Tier 2 states included Australia, Britain, China, France and Russia.

The report named France, Israel and Japan as partners of the Five Eyes intelligence network of the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

While France and Israel were described as “the two most cyber-capable partners,” Japan was characterized as “less capable in the security dimensions of cyberspace, despite its formidable economic power.”

“Japan’s defenses in cyberspace are not especially strong, with many corporations unwilling to meet the costs of bolstering them,” the report also said.

The institute analyzed the 15 countries’ cyber power in seven categories including strategy and doctrine, global leadership in cyberspace affairs and offensive cyber capability.

The U.S. superiority is expected to continue at least for the next 10 years, the report said.

“China is a second-tier cyber power but, given its growing industrial base in digital technology, it is the state best placed to join the United States in the first tier,” the report added.

JIJI Press