UK Cyber Chief Warns AI-Powered Attacks on Critical Infrastructure Likely by 2028
The UK's National Cyber Security Center warns that artificial intelligence will enable crippling cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, with hostile states and criminals increasingly using AI to exploit vulnerabilities at an unprecedented scale.
The United Kingdom is likely to face artificial intelligence-driven cyberattacks on its critical infrastructure by 2028, according to Richard Horne, head of the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC). In a speech marking the publication of the NCSC's annual cyber report, Horne warned that criminals and states, including China and Russia, are increasingly using AI in their cyber operations, making attacks more efficient and widespread.
Horne highlighted that AI-powered malware for ransomware attacks could allow vulnerabilities that have been tolerated for too long to be discovered and exploited at a scale that was once unimaginable. He cited an example where hackers targeted refrigeration units, turning up the temperature and causing food to thaw, a tactic that has also affected the UK. The recent cyberattacks on refrigeration systems in French supermarkets demonstrated how easily hostile actors could exploit civilian infrastructure, he noted.
The NCSC report identifies Chinese cyberactivity as the most sophisticated and sustained cyber challenge facing the UK, while Russia and China will routinely use AI to achieve their geopolitical goals. Russia is intentionally conducting cyber campaigns that fall below the threshold of armed conflict, and Iran is carrying out attacks against the UK and targeting individuals who pose a threat to the Iranian government, Horne said.
The report suggests that while AI is highly likely to increase the scale and efficiency of hostile operations, it is more likely to be used to enhance and scale existing tactics and techniques rather than discover new vulnerabilities. Technology underpins the automation of physical processes vital to modern life, including electricity switching, sluice gates in water facilities, dam operations, manufacturing lines, and heating and refrigeration controls, Horne emphasized.
Horne also issued a stark warning to business leaders and organizations of all sizes that have cut corners on technology. He stated that those who fail to invest in cybersecurity or update out-of-date technology will have to explain why food isn't on the shelves, lights aren't on, and businesses have gone under. The NCSC's report underscores the growing threat posed by AI-enabled cyberattacks and the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures across all sectors.
