Chief of communications intel agency says Russia is relentlessly targeting UK


LONDON (AP) — Britain and its allies risk losing a conflict in cyberspace against adversaries such as Russia unless citizens, corporations and governments treat cybersecurity with much greater urgency, a U.K. spy chief is warning.

Anne Keast-Butler, director of the communications intelligence agency GCHQ, will warn Wednesday that Moscow is “relentlessly targeting critical infrastructure, democratic processes, supply chains and public trust” in Britain and Europe. In a speech at a World War II code breaking center near London, she will accuse Russia of stealing technology and plotting sabotage and assassination attempts.

Keast-Butler plans to say that rapid advances in artificial intelligence mean that “the ground beneath our feet is shifting” and there is a “narrowing window for the U.K. and allies to stay ahead” of countries such as China, a science and technology “superpower.”

She plans to argue there must be an effort “from boardrooms to living rooms” to make cybersecurity “10 times more urgent,” according to extracts released in advance by GCHQ, short for Government Communications Headquarters.

It is the latest in a string of warnings from Western spies and intelligence experts that Russia is stepping up hostile activity in a “gray zone” that falls just below the threshold of war.

In recent months, authorities in countries including Sweden, Poland, Denmark and Norway have alleged that hackers linked to Russia targeted their critical infrastructure, including power plants and dams.

The head of the U.K.’s National Cyber Security Centre, Richard Horne, warned last month that hostile states including Russia, China and Iran are behind the most serious cyberattacks the country faces. He said such attacks could increase dramatically if Britain becomes involved in an international conflict.

Keast-Butler plans to stress the importance of international partnerships as U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy and disregard for longtime allies strains the relationship between London and Washington.

Pointedly, she is delivering the annual GCHQ director’s lecture speech at Bletchley Park, a manor house 45 miles (72 kilometers) northwest of London where hundreds of mathematicians, cryptographers, crossword puzzlers, chess masters and other experts worked to crack Nazi Germany’s supposedly unbreakable secret codes.

Their work both shortened the war and hastened the birth of modern computing.

Jill Lawless, The Associated Press



Source link

  • Related Posts

    S&P/TSX composite ends lower as investors await resolution on Iran war

    TORONTO — Canada’s main stock index ended lower on Tuesday as investors took a wait-and-see approach to a looming deal between the United States and Iran to end the war.…

    Seven ways to avoid losing your job to AI

    That is the theme of my latest Free Press column, here is one excerpt: Principle five: Run experiments. This is a more general version of the healthcare point. AI will generate…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    Inventor of the Basque Cheesecake Plans to Retire. His Secret: He Prefers Chocolate

    Inventor of the Basque Cheesecake Plans to Retire. His Secret: He Prefers Chocolate

    Energy price cap in Great Britain to rise by 13% from July | Energy bills

    Energy price cap in Great Britain to rise by 13% from July | Energy bills

    Denshattack preview: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater but with TRAINS

    Denshattack preview: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater but with TRAINS

    FAA Says Alaska Airlines Let Intoxicated Passengers Onto 11 Flights, Proposes $165K Fine

    FAA Says Alaska Airlines Let Intoxicated Passengers Onto 11 Flights, Proposes $165K Fine

    Millions of people have been placed in new voting districts. Here’s where the redistricting stands

    Millions of people have been placed in new voting districts. Here’s where the redistricting stands

    S&P/TSX composite ends lower as investors await resolution on Iran war

    S&P/TSX composite ends lower as investors await resolution on Iran war