UK warns AI will accelerate ransomware attacks

AI-powered malware is highly likely to feature in ransomware attacks against Britain’s critical national infrastructure within the next two years, the National Cyber Security Centre warns. Its State of the Cyber Nation report predicts that hostile actors will use AI to increase the speed, scale and efficiency of existing techniques, rather than autonomously conduct end-to-end attacks. NCSC chief Dr. Richard Horne warned that underinvestment and accumulated technical debt are leaving organisations vulnerable.

The agency identifies state-linked groups, particularly those associated with China and Russia, as the UK’s primary cyber adversaries. It reports that up to 88% of all attacks originate from just four vectors: phishing, exploitation of public-facing applications, misuse of valid accounts and exploitation of external remote services. The central concern is automated exploitation of familiar weaknesses, including misconfigured VPNs and vulnerable third-party software, rather than entirely new attack methods.

Horne said AI could also strengthen cyber resilience, but organisations must first address foundational security weaknesses. The government’s Cyber Essentials scheme should serve as a baseline, not an end goal. The UK government pledged £70 million for a National Exposure and Real-Time Vulnerability Centre to identify vulnerabilities across critical infrastructure and the economy, alongside a new NCSC-run AI Cyber Security Centre of Excellence.