UK must expect AI-powered attack on critical infrastructure within two years, report says

The UK's National Cyber Security Centre warns that Britain should expect an AI-powered cyberattack on critical national infrastructure within two years. The NCSC annual report states a ransomware attack using AI-powered malware by 2028 is highly likely. NCSC chief Richard Horne says many organizations are vulnerable due to underinvestment in technology, and identifies China as best positioned to use AI for such operations, with Russia and Iran also cited as threats.

The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has warned that Britain should expect an AI-powered cyberattack on its critical national infrastructure within the next two years. In its annual report, the NCSC said it was highly likely there would be a ransomware attack involving AI-powered malware by 2028. NCSC chief executive Richard Horne, speaking at an event on Tuesday, said far too many organizations and supply chains in Britain had 'got away with doing tech on the cheap' for decades, leaving them vulnerable. Horne warned of an 'unprecedented rise in the number of cyber incidents' in the coming months, not because AI has invented new attack methods, but because existing vulnerabilities can now be exploited at scale. The NCSC identified China as the best positioned to use AI for operations against UK critical infrastructure, while Russia was making sustained attempts to penetrate UK military networks and Iran was carrying out malicious cyber operations globally. Moscow, Beijing, and Tehran have denied similar accusations in the past. The report follows hacking attacks on supermarkets across Europe that exposed IT vulnerabilities. Horne urged organizations to take urgent action or face consequences such as empty shelves and business failures.