Russian hackers operating independently are targeting the infrastructure of the United Kingdom.

UK infrastructure is under increased threat from rogue Russian hackers, according to cyber-security experts. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), a branch of GCHQ, has warned that organisations should prepare for attacks from a new breed of gangs sympathetic to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Unlike state-controlled groups, these rogue actors are harder to predict as they act on their own accord, motivated by ideology rather than financial gain.

The NCSC has cautioned that these groups aspire to expand their attacks from website takedowns to disrupting Western infrastructure. Nonetheless, the NCSC has noted that the hackers are unlikely to cause deliberate destructive harm in the short term without external assistance.

The NCSC issued this warning during the CYBERUK conference in Belfast. Cabinet Office Minister, Oliver Dowden, likened the groups to the cyber equivalent of the Wagner group, a paramilitary organization fighting for Russian interests worldwide. The UK government has issued this alert as part of its national security strategy to identify such risks and protect against them. Dowden emphasized that businesses should recognize these threats and work together to strengthen defences.