UK critical infrastructure faced over 200 cyber incidents in just past year
The United Kingdom’s critical national infrastructure was hit by more than 200 cyber incidents over the past year, with around three quarters of the attacks believed to be linked to state-sponsored actors, according to the country’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), NCSC CEO Richard Horne warned that the UK is facing an increasingly complex cyber threat landscape, with countries such as Russia, China and Iran actively targeting systems that support essential services. Critical national infrastructure includes assets and systems that are vital to a country’s functioning, including power plants, hospitals, airports and defence facilities.
According to Horne, the NCSC responded to over 200 cyber incidents affecting the UK’s critical infrastructure and related supply chains in the year ending May 2026. Approximately 75% of these incidents are believed to have originated from state-linked threat actors.
Describing cybersecurity as an ‘ongoing contest with capable adversaries’, Horne said organisations can no longer treat cyberattacks as isolated incidents. Horne noted that while many organisations are still able to tolerate living with vulnerabilities, it’s just a matter of time before they get successfully exploited if in conflict situations.
The NCSC also warned that advances in artificial intelligence could significantly increase cyber risks in the coming years. Horne believes AI-powered tools could help attackers discover and exploit vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure more efficiently, with the threat expected to become more pronounced by 2028.
Recent discussions within the cybersecurity community have also highlighted concerns about increasingly capable AI models being used to automate reconnaissance, vulnerability discovery and attack planning. However, experts note that many successful cyberattacks today still rely on familiar weaknesses such as poor authentication practices, weak passwords and unpatched software vulnerabilities.
The UK NCSC is also encouraging consumers and organisations to adopt stronger authentication methods. In April, the agency recommended that users move away from traditional passwords and embrace passkeys instead. Passkeys use cryptographic credentials stored on trusted devices, making them significantly more resistant to phishing and credential theft compared to conventional passwords.
The recommendation reflects a broader industry shift towards passwordless authentication as governments and technology companies seek to reduce one of the most common attack vectors exploited by cybercriminals.
While Malaysia may not be as targeted as the UK, we find ourselves in a precarious situation too due to the government’s attempts to push through digital transformation efforts across many key public services. The UK’s struggles are a stark reminder that Malaysia too will need to remember the importance of cybersecutity as we move more critical infrastructure online.
For countries such ourselves in Malaysia that are accelerating digital transformation across public services, utilities and transportation networks, the UK’s experience is a reminder that cybersecurity must remain a core consideration when building and operating critical infrastructure.
Read more of our articles below!
