Britain is “widely underestimating” the threat of cyber attacks from Russia and China after a threefold increase in the number of serious incidents in a year, according to a new report.
Richard Horne, head of GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) will today warn of the threat posed by Russian online ‘aggression and recklessness’ and ‘highly sophisticated’ Chinese hackers.
In his first major speech, the cyber security chief will highlight the ‘widening gap’ between the threats Britain faces from state-backed hackers and criminals, and the defenses in place to protect businesses and public services.
It comes after the NCSC’s annual report revealed that the number of worst cyber incidents in Britain will triple by 2023-2024.
Mr Horne is expected to say: ‘What has struck me more than anything since I took over at the NCSC is the clearly widening gap between the exposure and threat we face, and the defense mechanisms that are put in place to protect us.
“And what is equally clear to me is that we must all increase the pace at which we work to stay ahead of our opponents…
“We can see how cyber attacks are becoming increasingly important for Russian actors, along with sabotage threats to physical security.
“All the while, China remains a highly sophisticated cyber player, with an increasing ambition to project its influence beyond its borders.
Russian President Vladimir Putin. The report describes Russia as a “capable, motivated and irresponsible threat actor in cyberspace” that “routinely attempts to compromise the systems of NATO states”
Chinese President Xi Jinping. Mr Horne will warn that ‘China remains a highly sophisticated cyber player, with an increasing ambition to project its influence beyond its borders’
Richard Horne, head of GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) will today warn of the threat posed by Russian online ‘aggression and recklessness’ and ‘highly sophisticated’ Chinese hackers
GCHQ in Cheltenham. In his first major speech, the cyber security chief will highlight the ‘widening divide’ between the threats Britain faces from state-backed hackers and criminals.
‘And yet, despite all this, we believe that the severity of the risk facing Britain has been widely underestimated.’
In a speech at the NCSC headquarters in London, he will say: ‘There is no room for complacency about the severity of state-led threats or the scale of the threat posed by cyber criminals.
“The defense and resilience of critical infrastructure, supply chains, the public sector and our broader economy must improve.”
The report describes Russia as a “capable, motivated and irresponsible threat actor in cyberspace” that “routinely attempts to compromise the systems of NATO states.”
The NCSC received 1,957 reports of cyber attacks last year, including 89 ‘nationally significant’ incidents. Of these, twelve were at the top end of the scale and more serious in nature, a threefold increase from last year.