New Zealand’s businesses and military have received a harsh score when it comes to cyber security in a report from an Australian think tank.

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s 2015 cyber maturity report ranks NZ sixth out of 20 Asia-Pacific countries, behind the US, Australia and Japan, for its ability to deal with cyber attacks.

The report’s authors describe NZ businesses as ill-prepared, giving the sector a six out of 10.

“NZ businesses are inadequately prepared to protect themselves from cyber threats and have no intention to invest further in cyber security,” the report said.

“While the NZ government’s efforts are notable, NZ’s score in this category is reduced because there does not appear to be a good level of two-way dialogue between government and the private sector.”

The military fares even worse, getting a five out of 10, because of a lack of clarity about its capacity to deal with cyber attacks.

“It’s unclear how the NZDF would contribute to a whole-of-government response, how it draws on the cyber security skills of the [National Cyber Security Centre] and the information security skills of the Government Communications Security Bureau,” the report said.

Meanwhile, the report praises NZ’s public awareness, governance and legislation on cyber issues, saying there is a “comprehensive suite of legislation” in place to deal with a variety of cyber issues.