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

LONDON, June 17 (Reuters) - 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.

(Reporting by William James; Editing by Aidan Lewis)