LONDON: The UK is facing an increase in hostile cyber activity, with a 16% rise in incidents handled by the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) in 2024 compared to the previous year. The NCSC reported managing 430 incidents this year, up from 371 in 2023, highlighting growing threats to the country’s digital infrastructure.
Richard Horne, the NCSC’s chief, will address these concerns in a speech later today, warning that cyberattacks have become more frequent, sophisticated, and disruptive. “Actors are increasingly using our technology dependence against us, seeking to cause maximum disruption and destruction,” Horne is expected to say.
Of the incidents reported in 2024, 347 involved data exfiltration — unauthorized and covert data theft — and 20 were ransomware attacks. The NCSC issued 542 personalized notifications to organizations affected by these attacks, offering guidance on mitigation strategies. This figure more than doubled the 258 notifications issued in 2023, signaling a significant escalation in threat levels.
Ransomware attacks remain the most immediate danger to critical sectors like energy, transportation, healthcare, and telecommunications, according to the NCSC’s annual review. The report also highlighted the potential for hackers to leverage artificial intelligence to conduct more advanced and destructive cyberattacks, further intensifying risks.
Horne cautioned against underestimating the severity of these threats. “There is no room for complacency about the severity of state-led threats or the volume of the threat posed by cyber criminals,” he said, urging stronger preparedness to protect the UK’s vital infrastructure from emerging cyber risks
