The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said AI-powered malware is highly likely to be used in ransomware attacks against the UK's critical national infrastructure by 2028. The agency, which is part of the GCHQ spy agency, noted that these attacks could target essential services including power stations, airports, and hospitals. The NCSC's annual review also warned that Russia and China will begin using artificial intelligence routinely in cyber-attacks.
AI is expected to enhance the ransomware threat by assisting attackers in scouting targets, locating network weaknesses, and writing malicious code. NCSC chief executive Richard Horne said the technology's ability to uncover vulnerabilities that have been tolerated for too long will lead to an imminent wave of cyber incidents. Horne noted that communications networks used by the British military face persistent and sustained daily attacks, including notable campaigns from Russia that fall below the threshold of armed conflict.
"It is … highly likely that between now and 2028, AI-powered malware will have been used in a ransomware attack on UK CNI," the NCSC said.
Recent cyber-attacks in Europe, where hackers raised supermarket fridge temperatures to over 50C, serve as a warning to organizations to invest in cyber resilience, according to the NCSC. Professor Alan Woodward of Surrey University said the warning highlights the necessity for companies and nation states to access cutting-edge AI technology to patch flaws before malicious actors do. While some companies have received advanced access to powerful models from providers like OpenAI and Anthropic to identify glitches, Woodward warned that if defenders do not secure such access, bad actors will beat them to it.
