UK cyber agency says AI-powered malware is highly likely to hit critical infrastructure in a ransomware attack by 2028
The NCSC's State of the Cyber Nation report, published Tuesday, says hostile actors' use of AI will highly likely raise the scale and efficiency of attacks within two years; chief executive Richard Horne says the era of "tech on the cheap" is over.
Why it matters
The National Cyber Security Centre, part of GCHQ, is the UK's lead technical authority on cyber threats, so its assessments shape how government and operators of power, water and transport systems prepare. The report links the warning to an unprecedented rise in cyber incidents and argues organisations can no longer run critical systems on cheap, poorly secured technology. The government is pairing it with funding, including £60m for the first phase of a Cyber Shield programme and £70m for a NERV Centre. Watch for Horne's speech on Tuesday and progress of the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill.
Key facts
- Report: NCSC State of the Cyber Nation, published 3 November
- AI-powered malware "highly likely" in a ransomware attack on UK critical national infrastructure by 2028
- Hostile actors' AI use highly likely to raise attack scale and efficiency within two years
- £60m for Cyber Shield phase one; £70m for a NERV Centre
- An AI Cyber Security Centre of Excellence is planned in Manchester