Britain's cyber chief warns AI-powered hackers are 'highly likely' to strike power stations, airports and hospitals 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.
Dr Richard Horne, chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, warns that Britain has spent "decades doing tech on the cheap" and that longstanding vulnerabilities can now be discovered and exploited "at a scale once unimaginable." The NCSC's annual State of the Cyber Nation report, published Tuesday, recorded 1,831 cyber attack reports this year, of which 80 were nationally significant.
Russia and China will use AI 'routinely' to pursue geopolitical goals, while Chinese activity is already the 'most sophisticated and sustained' cyber challenge facing the UK.
Horne warned of a 'Sliding Doors' moment, saying inaction could mean leaders explaining 'why food isn't on shelves, lights aren't on, businesses have gone under.'
Security expert Will Geddes said the NCSC's two-year estimate is too cautious, warning AI-boosted infrastructure attacks could arrive within two MONTHS.
