UK says three-quarters of cyberattacks on critical systems are linked to hostile states

LONDON, June 17 - Three-quarters of cyberattacks targeting Britain's critical infrastructure can be linked to hostile state actors, the head of the National Cyber Security Centre, Richard Horne, said in a speech on Wednesday.

• Horne said that in the year to May 2026 the NCSC had dealt with 200 incidents involving critical infrastructure and supporting systems.

• He warned that hostile states, such as Russia, China and Iran, were increasingly targeting the systems that underpin essential services.

• China, Russia and Iran have each denied previous accusations by Britain of malicious activity. The Chinese, Russian and Iranian embassies in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

• Horne said "every board member and every executive, in every organisation” had to strengthen cyber resilience, warning that vulnerabilities not addressed today could be exploited in any future conflict. REUTERS