UK sets 2028 date for AI cyber threat as Malaysia and Moldova count the damage

London puts a date on the AI threat

Richard Horne runs the UK's National Cyber Security Centre. He said on 3 November that Britain is likely to face AI-powered cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure by 2028.

Horne spoke at the launch of the NCSC's annual cyber report. He said AI could identify and exploit weaknesses in computer systems on an unprecedented scale, threatening electricity supplies, water facilities and other vital services. The report is more measured: AI is more likely to strengthen and expand existing hacking techniques than to create entirely new methods of attack. The distinction matters. The threat is less a new weapon than the same old flaws found faster and cheaper.

The NCSC named China as Britain's most persistent cyber threat. It said China and Russia were both expected to use AI increasingly to advance their strategic objectives.

The bill is already large. Malicious cyber activity costs British organisations nearly $20 billion a year, the NCSC says. It cited the 2025 attack on automaker Jaguar Land Rover, which caused more than $260 million in direct losses. Anne Keast-Butler, director of GCHQ, which oversees the NCSC, said: "Cybersecurity is now part of the front line defense of our nation."

Why the warning lands now

The same day, Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told parliament that his country is among those considered a target. He said the intelligence details could not be disclosed publicly.

Anwar said the National Security Council had convened a special meeting on Monday to assess the threat. Energy, transport, financial services and food supply top the list.

He cited other breaches of public systems. Belgium shut its national tax portal after an attack. Denmark's central population register was breached, with identification records involving nearly nine million people affected. The US Federal Election Commission's electronic filing system was disrupted for 41 hours. Japan exposed personal records involving more than 100,000 police personnel.

Malaysia proposed a closed-door session for all MPs within one or two days, led by the National Security Council's director-general. Chief Secretary to the Government Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar is due to chair a meeting with relevant departments. Bank Negara Malaysia governor Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour will convene financial institutions. Anwar named no suspected attacker and no likely target.

Moldova shows the damage after the fact

Moldova is still working through the aftermath. Prime Minister Vasile Tofan said on 28 October that authorities were investigating possible foreign state involvement in the breach.

Hackers exploited government services that required no authentication between 19 and 23 October. They made about 11 million requests and extracted data linked to roughly 750,000 identification numbers. The haul was broad. It may include names, birth details, health insurance status, pensions, driver's licenses, bank account numbers and tax debts.

Authorities inspected 82 digital public services. They temporarily disconnected those judged vulnerable, along with more than 30 government information systems and administrative panels.

SC World reported that the exposure covers about one-third of Moldova's resident population. Mihai Lupascu, head of the country's Cybersecurity Agency, described the operation as highly sophisticated. Moldova has roughly 2.4 million residents. Officials blocked unauthorised access on 23 October but detected further attempts on Sunday and Tuesday; both failed.

What to watch

Malaysia's closed-door briefing, expected within one or two days, is the next scheduled moment when more may become public. Moldova is restoring access after additional security checks. No attribution has been made.

The report gives no date for a specific incident and names no specific targets. It lists Iran alongside China and Russia as a threat.