Japan, Australia, Singapore, South Korea and New Zealand - top cyber-attack targets

According to a report by consultancy Deloitte, The Asia-Pacific Defence Outlook 2016 said the countries appear nine times more vulnerable to cyber-attacks compared to other Asian economies as they are the most heavily dependent on internet-based interactions.

In stark contrast, the regions most populous nations, China and India were categorised as less vulnerable. This is because they have a lower proportion of infrastructure and government systems connected to the internet.

Deloittes report says that the vulnerability gap means retaliation will not be effective for the more advanced economies, and countries like Japan and South Korea may have to consider threatening disproportionate or unpredictable retaliation, including responses outside cyberspace. The report adds that cyber defence policies that rely on quid pro quo retaliation in cyberspace may work for the less advanced economies but these five countries are likely to require other policy approaches, for example, trade measures, or other economic sanctions.