Madrid, 11 November 2026. The UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) considers it highly likely that malware using artificial intelligence will be used in a ransomware attack on UK critical national infrastructure between now and 2028. This is a UK-specific assessment from its 2026 annual review. The NCSC says AI already helps some attackers identify vulnerabilities and select targets more quickly, although adoption varies. [1–3]
For operators, the priority is checking whether an initial foothold can reach the systems that control the physical process. Internet Security Auditors recommends inventorying operational technology (OT) assets, including unsupported equipment, and documenting their connections to corporate networks and third parties. If equipment cannot be updated or taken offline to apply updates, operators should reduce its exposure, restrict communications to those needed and plan its replacement. [4]
Remote maintenance access should be authorised for a specific task and limited to the time needed, with multifactor authentication at the access point and session logging. Recovery should be tested with the operations team: restore protected backups of configurations and supervisory systems, measure actual recovery time and rehearse when to move to reduced operations or bring the process to a safe stop.
Internet Security Auditors helps operators and suppliers review segmentation and access, prioritise fixes, and prepare and test continuity and recovery plans. Technical audits should be agreed with operations staff so that tests and maintenance windows are compatible with process safety. A recovery exercise should record what was restored, how long it took and which dependencies remain unresolved.[5-6]
Referencias
[1] Euronews — Coverage of the NCSC assessment (3 November 2026)
https://es.euronews.com/2026/11/03/reino-unido-podria-sufrir-ciberataques-con-ia-a-infraestructuras-criticas-para-2028
[2] NCSC — Annual Review 2026: The cyber threat to the UK
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/annual-review-2026/understanding-threat/cyber-threat-uk
[3] NCSC — Annual Review 2026: The impact of AI on cyber threat
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/annual-review-2026/understanding-threat/ai-impact-cyber-threat
[4] NCSC — Secure connectivity principles for operational technology
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/operational-technology/secure-connectivity/introduction
[5] Internet Security Auditors — Technical security audits
https://www.isecauditors.com/en/pages/technical-security-audit
[6] Internet Security Auditors — Continuity, resilience and recovery
https://www.isecauditors.com/en/pages/continuity-resilience-secure-development
