UK at high risk of ‘catastrophic ransomware attack’, report says

The report criticised the Home Office and former home secretary Suella Braverman for failing to make the issue a priority. Photograph: Ritchie B Tongo/EPA

The UK government is at high risk of a “catastrophic ransomware attack” that could “bring the country to a standstill” because of poor planning and a lack of investment, a parliamentary committee has warned.

In a damning report, the joint committee on the national security strategy warned that the UK could face a crippling cyber-attack on its critical national infrastructure (CNI) at any moment. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) describes the CNI as national assets that are essential for the functioning of society, including energy supply, water supply, transportation, health and telecommunications.