UK warns AI ransomware attack on infrastructure ‘highly likely’ by 2028

AI-powered malware is highly likely to be used in a ransomware attack targeting UK critical national infrastructure by 2028, the country’s National Cyber Security Centre has warned.

The assessment, published in the NCSC’s Annual Review 2026, says artificial intelligence will increase the scale and efficiency of ransomware operations, social engineering and vulnerability exploitation.

“It is also highly likely that between now and 2028, AI-powered malware will have been used in a ransomware attack on UK CNI,” the report states.

The warning forms part of a broader assessment linking cyber threats to the UK’s economic and national security. The NCSC also warned China, Russia and other nation-states will use “AI cyber” to achieve their geopolitical goals, increasing the scale and speed of cyber threats facing the UK.