Cyber coercion in the indo-pacific: a comparative analysis of India’s and Australia’s responses

Cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructures are becoming the new normal. In the Indo-Pacific context, the severity of cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure continue to rise. Although the concept of coercion is contested in the context of cybersecurity, cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructures may serve strategic policy objectives. States do not employ cyber tools uniformly. The evolution of Chinese cyber statecraft presents a significant case, as Beijing has increasingly utilized cyber tools for long-term access, capability testing, and shaping regional dynamics. Despite conceptually rich discussions on cyber coercion, comparatively little attention has been paid to the strategically diverse ways in which states respond to such coercion within the Indo-Pacific context. In this regard, this study delves into the emergence of cyber coercion as a pivotal instrument in the Indo-Pacific region and focuses on the role of China’s state-backed cyber operations in targeting critical infrastructure in India and Australia. It employs process tracing, policy analysis, and incident data analysis to provide a comparative analysis of how both countries attempt to deter cyber coercion. The findings reveal that India’s diversity-driven ambiguity and Australia’s alliance-driven transparency in countering cyber coercion are not isolated choices but rather interwoven with their broader strategic orientations and institutional dynamics.