The growth of AI will increase the number and sophistication of cyb
erattacks on Britain, senior minister Pat McFadden said on Wednesday.
British companies, pu
blic bodies and institutions have been hit by a wave of cyberattacks in the p
ast few years, costing them tens of millions of pounds and often months of disruption.
Over the last three weeks British retailers Marks & Spencer, the Co-op G
roup and Harrods have all been hit by attacks, with M&S still unable to take online clothing orders.
The companies have not given any details on the nature of the attacks.
M&S, Co-op Cyberattackers Duped IT Help Desks Into Resetting Passwords, Report Says
“Today we are declassifying an intelligence assessment that shows AI is going to increase not only the frequency but the int
ensity of cyberattacks i
n the coming years,” said McFadden, who as cabinet office minister is responsible for UK cyber security.
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“Our security systems will only remain secure if they keep pace with what our adversaries are doing,” he said.
Speaking at the National Cyber Security Centre’s CyberUK 2025 conf
erence, he said that last year the NCSC received almost 2,000 reports of cyberattacks, with almost 90 deemed “significant” and 12 at “th
e very top end of severity.” This was three times the number of severe attacks compared to the year before.
McFadden said the recent cyberattacks on British retailers should se
rve as a wake-up call for everyone, including government and the public sector, businesses and organizations.
“Cyber security isn’t a luxury, it’s an absolute necessity.”
He said the government will later this year publish a new cyber security str
ategy, while new legislation, the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, will grant g
overnment new powers to direct regulated organizations to reinforce their cyber defenses.