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

The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) warns that the country must anticipate an AI-powered cyberattack on its critical national infrastructure within the next two years, with China being the most equipped nation to carry out such operations. NCSC chief Richard Horne stated that organizations in Britain have neglected cybersecurity for too long, leaving them vulnerable.

Horne expects a significant increase in cyber incidents in the near future, not due to AI inventing new attack methods, but because of previously tolerated vulnerabilities that can now be discovered and exploited on an unprecedented scale. The NCSC expects a ransomware attack involving AI-powered malware on critical infrastructure by 2028, and AI use by hostile actors is expected to enhance the scale and efficiency of their operations.

The report also highlights Russia's attempts to penetrate UK military networks and Iran's global malicious cyber activities, including against the UK. China is suspected to have the intent and the best position to use AI for operations against critical national infrastructure and strategic targets, posing the most sophisticated and sustained cyber challenge for the UK.

Both the report and Horne's speech come after recent hacking attacks on supermarkets across Europe exposed vulnerabilities in IT systems. Horne emphasized the urgent need for organizations to take immediate action or explain why they failed to act despite clear warnings, as failing to do so could lead to serious consequences such as empty shelves, lack of electricity, and business closures.