About the National Cyber ​​Strength Index 2022

The issue is no longer a fantasy, as humanity is living on the threshold of the Fifth Industrial Revolution, which will focus on integrating modern technology with human intelligence more effectively than it was in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where researchers expect that this stage will witness a digital transformation in many areas, based on this Develop artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and Big Data technologies, and how to employ them in a balanced manner along with human capabilities in various fields, depending on the communication technologies of the fifth and sixth generations.

Cyberspace is also no longer so as it appeared in science fiction novels in the eighties of the last century, as no country can measure its position and capabilities as an influential force by relying on the elements of traditional power only, as data has become imperative for countries to possess their capabilities in the cyber field, which removed many of the The traditional power elements are in place.

The possession of money, wealth, military capabilities, vast geography and large population is no longer sufficient for states to crystallize their role as an effective, influential and influential force in global politics.

Although cyber power contributes to maximizing global economic, defense, military and security influence and capabilities, there is still no agreement on global methods and models for evaluating them effectively, as is the case for models and indicators for measuring hard power.

Today, many countries are seeking to obtain electronic power, and the latter has taken a new form in its nature, means, tools, data and indicators, and we see today how the international conflict has turned mainly towards competition and competition in the arena of technological achievements that changed the form of conflicts and wars and their tools, and affected the actors It contributed to rethinking the dynamics of conflict.

Recently, the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University released its updated National Cyber ​​Power Index for 2022, which is abbreviated as “NCPI” (NCPI), which is a follow-up to its index that it previously issued in 2020, where it ranks 30 countries according to their cyber capabilities and capabilities. From 29 indicators, including cyber attacks, data protection laws, technical standards, Internet governance, cyber research, cyber crime, enforcement, and use of publicly available knowledge about cyber capabilities.

These indicators are evaluated through eight objectives, which are summarized as follows:

The ranking of cyber-powerful countries according to the National Cyber ​​Strength Index for the year 2022 is as follows:

• United States of America

• China

• Russia

• United kingdom

• Australia

• Holland

• Korea

• Vietnam

• France

• Iran

It is clear from the figures and data contained in the index that Russia has advanced over Britain in third place, and while China remained in second place, Australia jumped from tenth place in 2020 to fifth in the index this year 2022;

While France fell three places from sixth to ninth place.

Germany, Canada and Japan fell among the top ten.

Korea has moved to the top ten, as it occupied seventh place after it was in sixteenth place.

As for Vietnam, it moved to ninth place from eighteenth place;

And Iran to the tenth place after it was ranked twenty-second.

It is worth noting that in the 2022 ranking, Ukraine came in 12th place after making a huge jump from 29th place in 2020, and it seems that the war in Ukraine contributed to increasing the positions of both Russia and Ukraine, and led to the rise of Russia and its superiority over the United Kingdom in the world rankings.

One of the most important elements indicated by the report is that the United States of America is still at the top of the strongest list in terms of possessing cyber power, and has occupied an unparalleled prominent position in global cyberspace affairs during the previous years, and Washington has always maintained a clear superiority over all countries The other is in terms of its capabilities in information and communication technology, and the domination of cyberspace has been a strategic goal of the United States since the mid-1990s;

It is the only country with a prominent global footprint in both civil and military uses of cyberspace, although it now considers itself seriously threatened in this area by China and Russia.

Although cyber power contributes to maximizing global economic, defense, military and security influence and capabilities, there is still no agreement on global methods and models for evaluating them effectively, as is the case for models and indicators for measuring hard power.Some global think tanks have approached the door of research on the cyber capabilities of countries, and how to measure and categorize them (such as the Capacity Building Assessment Tool developed by the World Bank to combat cybercrime, the annual report on cyber maturity issued by the Australian Institute for Strategic Policy, and the Cyber ​​Preparedness Index issued by the Institute Potomac Policy Study, to the Cyber ​​Security Maturity Model from the Global Center for Cyber ​​Security Capabilities at the University of Oxford, the Global Cyber ​​Security Index from the International Telecommunication Union, as well as the National Capabilities Assessment Framework from the European Union Agency for Cyber ​​Security), I think that the Belfer Center for Electronic Power model, which we referred to earlier, is the most comprehensive and best model so far for measuring the cyber capabilities of countries.

What most of these models agree on, despite the ambiguity of the cyber scene, is the arrangement of the United States of America and placing it at the top of the pyramid to rank first in the world as a country with leading strengths in cyberspace, as it has more advanced offensive capabilities than any other country, in addition to all Key foundations in terms of high-quality cyber intelligence capability, technologically advanced Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance leadership, and a strong cyber academic and industrial base.

Arranged from the above, cyber capabilities have become an important field for exercising influence and achieving international supremacy and competition. Conventional weapons arsenals are no longer the primary and only criterion for measuring power after the information revolution. This requires experts and countries to search for models to measure and classify cyber capabilities indicators as is the case in The aspect of hard power, because building tools that measure their electronic capabilities has become an urgent need that contributes to understanding this critical area to improve national strategies and electronic policies for countries, in light of the escalation of international confrontation in a space that has become part of international interactions after it has expanded and increased threat rates and electronic attacks have increased dramatically .