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UK Cyber Agency Warns AI Ransomware Will Likely Hit Critical Infrastructure by 2028
UK cyber agency warns AI-powered ransomware will likely hit Britain's critical infrastructure by 2028.
Key points
- NCSC says AI-powered malware is 'highly likely' to feature in a future ransomware attack on UK critical national infrastructure by 2028.
- Attackers already abuse the open source, Chinese-made AI tool ARTEX in attacks on UK registrar 123 Reg and Microsoft 365.
- Project DROMOS, launched by GC3 with the AI Security Institute, uncovered hundreds of potential security issues.
Why it matters. The warning could shape how British organisations invest in defences, since the NCSC says automated defensive activity currently sits outside many organisations' risk tolerances.
The National Cyber Security Centre said AI-powered malware is 'highly likely' to feature in a ransomware attack on Britain's critical national infrastructure between now and 2028. Its pessimistic scenario sees China having 'likely played a role' in supplying AI tools that let attackers hide their activities. A four-week pilot called Project DROMOS uncovered hundreds of potential security issues, while Cyber Shield, backed by £60 million, will roll out over five years.
Latest updates
UK Cyber Agency Warns AI Ransomware Will Likely Hit Critical Infrastructure by 2028
The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) says AI-powered malware is "highly likely" to be part of a future ransomware attack on Britain's critical national infrastructure before 2028. The warning was published with the agency's annual review. The NCSC says critical infrastructure is a likely target. Its chief urged business leaders to stop doing "tech on the cheap" when it comes to security. Computerweekly reported that in a worst-case scenario, self-replicating AI could launch cyber attacks against UK targets by 2028.