{
  "id": 17964705,
  "title": "Britain on notice: AI-powered ransomware attacks to arrive by 2028",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/britain-on-notice-ai-powered-ransomware-attacks-to-arrive-by-2028-17964705",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-11-03T12:39:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Register",
    "slug": "the-register",
    "url": "https://www.theregister.com/security/2026/11/03/britain-on-notice-ai-powered-ransomware-attacks-to-arrive-by-2028/5307200"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has warned that AI-powered ransomware attacks are highly likely to target Britain's critical national infrastructure between now and 2028. The warning forms part of the NCSC's annual review and an assessment on how AI can alter cyber threats over the next two years. While GCHQ's cyber division did not provide detailed information about the exact form the AI malware might take, it suggested that open-source AI security tools initially meant for security researchers might be repurposed for malicious purposes. For instance, ARTEX, a Chinese-made AI red-teaming platform, has been widely abused in attacks on UK registrar 123 Reg, Microsoft 365, and others since its launch in July. The NCSC predicts a significant rise in the frequency and complexity of cyberattacks globally in 2028, making it harder to attribute attacks. The report also considers the risk of an autonomous attacker operating without any human control, which could self-replicate and carry out cyberattacks without any apparent motivation or restraint. This type of attack could further complicate geopolitical relationships due to attribution challenges, allowing countries that order attacks to deny involvement. The NCSC is exploring the potential of AI in defense, with Project DROMOS already discovering hundreds of potential security issues, including critical vulnerabilities. The government has allocated £60 million for the Cyber Shield initiative and an additional £70 million for a new National Exposure and Real-Time Vulnerability (NERV) Centre to identify and maintain vulnerability information across CNI organizations and the wider economy. To bolster public sector defenses, £24 million has been allocated, and an undisclosed sum will establish an AI Cyber Security Centre in Manchester to develop AI security expertise across government. NCSC CEO Dr. Richard Horne calls for organizations to urgently invest in their security and resilience, treating the Cyber Essentials certification as the starting point and scaling up resilience efforts based on organizational size, complexity, and risk.",
  "summary": "Cyber agency warns critical infrastructure is a likely target as chief urges bosses to stop doing 'tech on the cheap'",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}