UK cyber chief says hostile states behind most infrastructure attacks

Britain's cyber security chief said three-quarters of more than 200 incidents affecting critical national infrastructure in the past year were linked to state actors from Russia, China and Iran. Richard Horne, head of GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre, made the remarks in a speech at the Royal United Services Institute in London.

He said the incidents occurred between June last year and this May.

Horne warned that artificial intelligence will increase the threat by 2028, allowing attackers to exploit weaknesses in older systems. He said adversaries are already positioning footholds inside critical networks that could be activated during conflict.

Horne called for coordinated steps across government, industry and households, stating there are "no spectators" in the contest. He said organisations must identify exposure, strengthen protections and maintain operations under attack.