UK warns of AI-powered ransomware targeting critical infrastructure by 2028

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) says AI-powered malware is “highly likely” to feature in a ransomware attack on Britain’s critical national infrastructure between now and 2028. Its assessment warns that wider adoption of AI tools could increase attack frequency and sophistication while making responsibility harder to establish. Attackers are already repurposing open source tools originally designed for security research.

The agency also considers an autonomous attacker operating beyond human control a realistic possibility, potentially replicating itself and conducting attacks without apparent motivation or restraint. Such activity could complicate geopolitical relationships by making it easier for states to deny involvement.

Defensive initiatives include Project DROMOS, which identified hundreds of potential security issues in government code repositories, including critical vulnerabilities. The planned Cyber Shield system will supply defensive agents with NCSC data to strengthen participating organizations’ resilience. The government has allocated £60 million to that initiative and £70 million to a National Exposure and Real-Time Vulnerability Centre, intended to track vulnerabilities across critical infrastructure and the wider economy.

NCSC chief executive Dr Richard Horne urged leaders to invest urgently and make security a fundamental requirement rather than an afterthought. He recommended Cyber Essentials certification as a starting point, with stronger measures matched to organizational complexity and risk. Eligible smaller businesses applying for their first certificate will receive a 75 percent discount.