GCHQ Chief Warns Russia is “Relentlessly Targeting” UK Infrastructure and Democracy

GCHQ Director Anne Keast-Butler warned this week that Russia is “relentlessly targeting” the UK’s “critical infrastructure, democratic processes, supply chains and public trust” during GCHQ’s inaugural annual lecture at Bletchley Park. She stated that Russia was “scaling up its daily hybrid activity” against the UK and Europe, and cautioned that contested geopolitics and rapid advances in technology were creating a “moment of consequence” for national security, narrowing the window for the UK and its allies to maintain their technological advantage.

Against this backdrop, Keast-Butler said GCHQ is working to counter Russian cyber threats targeting the UK private sector and stressed that improving national cyber resilience would require closer collaboration between government, industry, academia and the public. Urging stronger cyber security practices “from boardrooms to living rooms”, she also called on individuals to “switch passwords for passkeys”, while encouraging organisations to “hard-wire security into new technologies” to better protect supply chains and business operations.