There was a sense of relief in the headlines in the Financial Times last week: “China’s cyber power at least a decade behind the U.S.” This was the reaction to a substantial report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), which found that the United States alone is able to deploy world-leading capabilities in all aspects of the cyber domain, relegating China to tier-two status. These findings seemed to offer a respite from the more usual narrative in the West that China will soon achieve a dominant position in cyberspace, if it has not already. So should Western policymakers relax? Not quite.
Why Comparison Is Difficult
First, it is important to recognize the challenges in assessing a state’s cyber capabilities. A large part of the problem is in measuring the effects of cyber operations, particularly at the strategic level. Possessing a capability is only part of the story. The ultimate test is deploying that capability with a coherent strategy in ways that achieve the intended outcomes and provide a benefit that outweighs the costs. When two fighters enter the ring, the tale of the tape (the opponents’ pre-fight measurements and weights) is only one part of the equation.
Nick Beecroft
Nick Beecroft is nonresident scholar in the Cyber Policy Initiative at the Carnegie Endowment.
More >
Second, China is pursuing a distinctive strategy in cyberspace. More than any other domain, cyberspace affords nations opportunities to shape their environment and exploit it in innovative ways. Beca ..
Support the originator by clicking the read the rest link below.
