UK will face AI cyberattacks on critical infrastructure by 2028, official says

The UK is likely to face AI-enabled cyberattacks on critical infrastructure by 2028, according to Richard Horne, head of the National Cyber Security Centre. He warned that artificial intelligence could help criminals and states find and exploit long-standing weaknesses at much greater scale, putting essential services and businesses at risk.

The NCSC report says AI is more likely to make existing cyber tactics faster and more effective than uncover entirely new vulnerabilities. It identifies Chinese cyberactivity as the UK’s most sophisticated and sustained cyber challenge, and says Russia and China will use AI to pursue geopolitical aims; Horne also cited Iranian attacks targeting people seen as threats to its government. A previous attack on refrigeration units raised temperatures and spoiled food, illustrating how digital intrusions can affect physical systems.