A qualitative cyber power assessment involving 15 countries by an influential think tank called International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) has placed India's offensive cyber capability under the third tier, reports The Indian Express.

The report notes that India's offensive cyber capability is "Pakistan-focused" and "regionally effective" and not tuned towards China. The report said that despite the geo-strategic instability of its region and a keen awareness of the cyber threat it faces, India had made only "modest progress" in developing its policy and doctrine for cyberspace security.

Other nations under the third tier by IISS include Japan, Iran, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and North Korea. The tier represents countries with strengths or potential strengths in some of these categories but "significant weaknesses" in others.

The study has assessed the cyber capabilities of 15 countries in seven categories- strategy and doctrine; governance, command and control; core cyber-intelligence capability; cyber empowerment and dependence; cybersecurity and resilience; global leadership in cyberspace affairs and offensive cyber capability.

The study has identified only the United States (US) as a first-tier country for its world-leading strengths across "all" categories. Meanwhile, in the second tier, the countries with world-leading strengths in 'some' categories are Australia, Canada, China, France, Israel, Russia and the United Kingdom.