King warns Britain faces 'ever-evolving' threat from 'malicious actors' using automated technologies online

From the Newshound archive · first published 10 October 2026 · last updated 11 October 2026.

King Charles has marked the National Cyber Security Centre's 10th anniversary with warm praise alongside a sharp warning that disinformation and hostile online activity represent mounting threats to democratic institutions and the country's critical infrastructure. The King said 'malicious actors continue to evolve their tactics by using automated technologies' and that robust cyber security is now 'fundamental' to national resilience. He offered 'profound gratitude' for NCSC work that must largely go unacknowledged in public. The letter follows his separate caution to AI executives weeks earlier about 'existential dangers' from misuse of the technology by those who should not possess it.

The NCSC is a division of GCHQ, founded in 2016 and officially opened by the late Queen Elizabeth II in February 2017.

The King credited the agency with shielding Britain from cyber attacks, keeping democratic institutions secure and protecting 'critical infrastructure upon which daily life depends'.

The anniversary letter arrived days after the NCSC offered assistance to Asos following a major hack in which cyber criminals used the retailer's own app to send pop-up notifications to potentially millions of customers.