AI Safety & Cybersecurity
UK Warns of AI-Powered Ransomware Risk by 2028
The NCSC says AI malware is highly likely to be used in a ransomware attack on UK critical infrastructure.
Control room monitors show abstract cybersecurity patterns, illustrating concerns about AI-enabled attacks on critical infrastructure.
Photo: Kronos News
The UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) says it is highly likely that AI-powered malware will be used in a ransomware attack on UK critical national infrastructure between now and 2028. The agency also assesses that attackers are likely to use AI against known weaknesses in older infrastructure systems. [1]
The NCSC says its report considers three plausible scenarios, not predictions, and warns that AI capabilities and their use in cyber operations are changing quickly. Its baseline scenario describes AI increasing the scale and speed of sophisticated attacks; an uncontrolled, autonomous cyber actor appears as a possibility only in the more pessimistic scenario. [1]
The assessment is a forecast, not evidence that such an attack has already occurred. It also notes that defensive AI tools may help counter threats, while many systems could remain vulnerable if security tools are not correctly configured. [1]
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The story concerns a forward-looking assessment from a single source.
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Kronos News Desk covers ai safety & cybersecurity and editorial analysis for Kronos News.