The National Cyber Security Centre, a unit of British intelligence agency GCHQ, has issued a warning that artificial intelligence will probably be deployed in ransomware attacks targeting UK critical national infrastructure between now and 2028. The alert encompasses facilities across energy, transport, defence, food, health, and finance sectors.
Ransomware has become a dominant tactic among criminal hackers, particularly groups operating from former Soviet states. The attack methodology typically involves gaining access to victim systems, encrypting files with custom malware, and demanding cryptocurrency payments for restoration. Previous UK victims have included Royal Mail, outsourcing firm Capita, and various public sector bodies. The NCSC indicated that AI will enhance this threat by automating tasks such as target reconnaissance, vulnerability identification, and malicious code development.
NCGC’s chief executive Richard Horne is scheduled to deliver remarks accompanying the organization’s annual review warning of an imminent surge in cyber incidents. He will emphasize that AI technology can exploit weaknesses in IT systems that organizations have “tolerated for far too long.” A recent example involved AI identifying a critical vulnerability in PHP, a programming language used by approximately 70% of websites globally.
Horne will additionally note that military communications networks face daily persistent and sustained attacks, with Russia identified as a primary perpetrator. He will characterize these campaigns as part of Moscow’s “hybrid warfare” strategy, deliberately remaining below the threshold of armed conflict. The remarks will also reference recent attacks on European supermarket refrigeration systems, where hackers raised temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius, illustrating the need for organizations to prioritize cybersecurity investment. Horne plans to stress that technological infrastructure has been maintained economically for decades, requiring a substantial shift toward resilience measures.
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