U.K. cybersecurity chief warns of increasing cyber threats

The United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre reported a 16% rise in cyber incidents in 2024, reflecting growing intensity and sophistication of hostile activities, Reuters reports.

Richard Horne, a senior official at the agency, highlighted how adversaries exploit the nation’s technological dependence to maximize disruption and destruction. The agency handled 430 incidents, up from 371 in 2023, with 347 involving unauthorized data exfiltration and 20 linked to ransomware attacks. Ransomware remains the most significant threat, particularly to critical infrastructure sectors like energy, water, transportation, healthcare, and telecommunications. Additionally, the National Cyber Security Centre issued 542 customized notifications to organizations, advising them on mitigating specific incidents -- more than double the number issued last year. The annual review emphasized the growing risk posed by hackers leveraging artificial intelligence to execute increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. "We believe the severity of the risk facing the UK is being widely underestimated," said Horne. "There is no room for complacency about the severity of state-led threats or the volume of the threat posed by cybercriminals."