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Britain's cyber chief warns an AI-powered attack on UK power stations, airports and hospitals is 'highly likely' by 2028

Richard Horne, chief of the National Cyber Security Centre, whose report singles out unpatched software and poor passwords as the vulnerabilities hostile states are most likely to exploit at AI-accelerated scale.
Richard Horne, chief of the National Cyber Security Centre, whose report singles out unpatched software and poor passwords as the vulnerabilities hostile states are most likely to exploit at AI-accelerated scale.

Richard Horne, chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), published the body's annual State of the Cyber Nation report on Tuesday, warning that the UK's cyber resilience is 'not where it should be' and that the country faces a 'Sliding Doors' moment of 'enormous consequence'. He said Russia and China will use AI 'routinely' to pursue their geopolitical goals, with Chinese activity already rated the 'most sophisticated and sustained cyber challenge facing the UK'. Horne warned leaders who have 'got away with tech on the cheap' will face a reckoning when 'food isn't on shelves, lights aren't on, businesses have gone under'.

The NCSC's incident team received 1,831 reports of cyber attacks this year, with 80 rated nationally significant.

Security expert Will Geddes warned the two-year timeline underestimates the danger — AI-boosted infrastructure attacks could come within TWO MONTHS.

Russia is deliberately keeping cyber campaigns below the threshold of armed conflict, while Iran is targeting UK-based individuals it sees as threats to the regime.

MoreDaily MailUK could face AI-powered cyberhacks on critical infrastructure by 2028The TimesUK will be hit by ‘unprecedented rise’ in AI cyberattacksThe GuardianAI-powered malware ‘highly likely’ to be used to hack UK infrastructure by 2028Financial TimesChinese and Russian AI cyber attacks will be routine by 2028, says GCHQWashington TimesBritain’s cyber chief warns of AI cyberattacks on critical infrastructure by 2028BBC News - ScotlandScotland needs to embrace AI for its potential to be realised, minister saysAPUK cyber chief says the UK will face AI cyberattacks on critical infrastructure by 2028ReutersUK must expect AI-powered attack on critical infrastructure within two years, report says
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