UK sends “hunt forces” overseas to tackle cyberattacks

The UK is sending specialist “hunt forces” to countries including Europe and Asia in a bid to prevent large-scale cyberattacks.

The move comes as Major General Mike Fayers, the commander of the Defence Cyber and Electromagnetic Force (DCEMF) warned of the danger of AI which is “exploiting vulnerabilities at a speed we have not seen”.

In an interview with The Times, he said: Whereas historically we would have had a few days to fix vulnerabilities, we are now in double-digit minutes to respond to those vulnerabilities.”

What are the “hunt forces” and what are they doing?

The specialist military teams will work with international partners to identify hackers who are preparing to attack UK networks. Missions are expected to target both state-backed hackers and criminal groups.

One mission is already underway.

In his interview, Maj Gen Fayers said the approach marks a shift from defending UK networks at home and instead is a move to tackling threats closer to their source.

He added: “We are trying to hunt for our adversaries in places where they prepare before they target UK military systems”.

DCEMF, which was established last year, has more than 700 military personnel and civil servants currently working to protect defence networks.

Maj Gen Fayers also said that malicious software could already be hidden within the Ministry of Defence‘s IT systems – and this could potentially allow attackers to cause disruption during a future conflict.

AI accelerating cyber threats to UK defence

The warning follow growing concern over the speed and sophistication of cyberattacks.

Maj Gen said AI was allowing hackers to exploit vulnerabilities much faster. The latest National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) annual review, published on 3 November, raised the same concerns.

It warned that AI-powered malware is highly likely to be used against critical national infrastructure by 2028.

Speaking at the launch of the report, Richard Horne, chief executive of the NCSC, warned that failures to invest in cyber security were becoming increasingly dangerous.

“Vulnerabilities that have been tolerated for far too long can now be discovered and exploited at a scale that was once unimaginable.”

Last week, cyberattacks targeting supermarket refrigeration systems across 10 European countries forced retailers to discard large quantities of food. The disruption also reached the UK supply chain.

The warning follows separate findings about weaknesses in the UK’s emergency services.

As Advance reported in October, an inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services found police forces and fire services weren’t fully prepared for serious cyberattacks.

What does it mean for UK business?

The developments underline the growing importance of cyber resilience across the UK supply chain.

The NCSC’s latest guidance highlights basic protections, including regular software updates, access controls and malware prevention.