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AI-powered malware ‘highly likely’ to be used to hack UK infrastructure by 2028
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The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has warned that AI-powered malware is “highly likely” to be used in ransomware attacks on critical national infrastructure by 2028. In its annual review, the GCHQ agency said power stations, airports, hospitals and other essential services could be targeted. It also cautioned that Russia and China are expected to use AI routinely in cyber operations.
The warning reflects ransomware’s evolution into a core criminal business model. Gangs, often based in former Soviet states, break into IT systems, encrypt files with bespoke malware and demand cryptocurrency. UK victims have included Royal Mail, Capita and local councils, highlighting the disruption such attacks can cause.
The NCSC sets a clear timeframe: between now and 2028, AI-powered malware is highly likely to feature in a ransomware attack on UK CNI. Its definition covers energy, transport, defence, food, health and finance. Chief executive Richard Horne will reinforce the message in a speech on Tuesday.
Technically, AI is expected to sharpen every stage of an attack. It can help criminals scout targets, locate network weaknesses and write malicious code faster. Last month, AI helped uncover a critical flaw in PHP, a language used by almost 70% of world’s websites, showing how quickly models find hidden vulnerabilities.
The impact would extend beyond individual organisations. Hospitals, power stations and airports rely on interconnected systems, so a successful strike could disrupt essential services and public safety. Horne will also say British military communications networks face daily, persistent attacks, with Russia among the perpetrators.
Security experts say the warning underscores a widening access gap. Alan Woodward, professor of cybersecurity at Surrey University, said AI can help defenders find and patch flaws, but failure to secure cutting-edge tools would let attackers win. OpenAI and Anthropic have already given some organisations advanced access to powerful models for vulnerability detection.
Horne is expected to warn of an unprecedented rise in cyber incidents in the coming months, blaming weaknesses tolerated for too long and hybrid warfare below armed conflict. Recent attacks on European supermarket fridges, where hackers raised temperatures above 50C, are a further warning. The government has urged households to stock water and food under its Be Ready campaign, while Horne will say decades of cheap technology must end.
