And while the US remains the dominant cyberspace power, China is rapidly gaining ground and could soon be a major rival in both the civil and military spheres, the Britain-based research group said after a two-year study.

“All countries are still in the early stages of coming to terms with the strategic implications of cyberspace,” the IISS analysts said.

“A sense of crisis and inadequacy is pervasive in political circles, with private actors seemingly saying ‘catch me if you can’ to governments as they race to maximise immense profits.”