Navigating the NCSC’s latest assessment on artificial intelligence and cyber resilience.
Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the frontline of cyber warfare. In this article we look at how the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) detailed the predicted impact of AI on the efficacy of cyber operations between now and 2027.
At Mondas, we believe that understanding shifts is critical for survival. We revisit the NCSC’s 🔗AI to 2027 threat assessment, to review ways we can better prepare our clients defences against a new generation of AI-enabled adversaries.
Lowering of the Bar
One of the most significant findings in the NCSC report is that AI lowers the barrier to entry for cyber criminals. In the past, sophisticated attacks required a high degree of technical skill. Today, Generative AI (GenAI) allows novice cyber criminals, often referred to as ‘script kiddies’, to punch well above their weight.
AI tools can now assist in writing malicious code, debugging malware, and identifying targets. While the NCSC notes that highly sophisticated “zero-day” exploits will likely remain the domain of skilled state actors for now, the volume of lower-level attacks is set to increase as less skilled actors gain access to better tools.
Social Engineering 2.0
Perhaps the most immediate risk to businesses is the “uplift” in social engineering capabilities.
We’ve all been trained to spot the tell-tale signs of a phishing email: poor grammar, odd phrasing, or spelling mistakes. The 🔗NCSC impact report highlights that GenAI is effectively removing these indicators. Attackers can now generate highly convincing, perfectly phrased emails in any language, making phishing attempts significantly harder for employees to detect.
This evolution means that the “human firewall”, i.e. your team, will be tested like never before. It won’t cut it just to look out for typos; we need to verify the intent and context of every communication.
The Speed of Exploitation
Another concerning trend is the speed at which vulnerabilities can be exploited. The time between a software vulnerability being disclosed and hackers exploiting it is shrinking.
AI accelerates this process by automating the reconnaissance phase of an attack. It can scan networks faster and more efficiently than a human ever could, identifying unpatched systems and weak points in record time. This creates a “race condition” where defenders must patch systems immediately, as the window of safety is rapidly closing.
The Digital Divide
The NCSC warns of a widening “digital divide” between organisations that leverage AI for defence and those that do not. The reality is that we are entering an era of “AI versus AI.”
While attackers use these tools to speed up their operations, defenders must use them to speed up detection and response. Organisations relying solely on legacy, manual security monitoring will likely find themselves outpaced by the sheer speed of automated attacks.
How Mondas is Responding
While the outlook may seem daunting, it’s not unmanageable. The NCSC explicitly states that the industry is already adopting AI to enhance resilience through “detection and improved security by design.”
At Mondas, our Security Operations Centre (SOC) in Farnborough is at the forefront of this defensive shift. We recognise that while AI is a powerful tool for attackers, it is an equally powerful ally for defenders.
- Human-Led, AI-Enabled: We don’t rely on automation alone. We combine best-in-class AI detection tools with seasoned security analysts. This ensures that while machines handle the volume and speed of data, human experts handle the nuance and decision-making.
- Safe Deployment: We work strictly within the guidelines set out by the NCSC regarding the safe deployment of AI tools. We ensure that in our quest for innovation, we do not inadvertently introduce new vulnerabilities.
- Proactive Monitoring: Understanding that the “time to exploit” is shrinking, our SOC focuses on proactive threat hunting, spotting anomalies before they become breaches.
Conclusion
The NCSC’s assessment for 2027 is a wake-up call and a roadmap. The threats are real, and they are here to stay. However, by staying informed and partnering with security experts who understand the subtleties of this new landscape, organisations can navigate the next few years with confidence.
AI has changed the game, but with the right expertise, it’s a game you can still win. Talk to us today about how to secure your data against evolving AI threats.
This article was brought to you by Lance Nevill, our Cyber Security Director at Mondas. Lance works with organisations towards their compliance with a focus on ISO 42001 in this context, learn more about Lance on 🔗LinkedIn here.
