The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) warns it is “highly likely” the UK will face cyberattacks using AI on critical national infrastructure by 2028. Multiple outlets report the warning centres on the use of AI-powered techniques to enable attacks, including ransomware-style incidents.
Several reports link the risk to both criminal activity and state-backed threat actors. Outlets also describe the kinds of infrastructure potentially affected, with the Guardian specifically mentioning facilities such as power stations, airports and hospitals, while other coverage focuses more generally on “critical national infrastructure.”
Coverage largely aligns on the core message—AI is expected to be used by attackers and the timeline points to 2028. Differences are mainly in emphasis: some headlines foreground “two years” or highlight ransomware and “AI-powered malware,” while others foreground statements from the UK’s cyber chief or the framing that AI is industrialising cyber attacks.
