King Charles III has warned that malicious actors are changing their methods through the use of automated technologies, posing a threat to trust and security in the digital age.
His remarks were made in a letter to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), published on Saturday to mark the organisation’s 10th anniversary. He said attackers continue to “evolve their tactics by using automated technologies”.
The King wrote that strong cyber security is fundamental to making the online environment safer and more resilient, from threats to the international order to balancing the risks and opportunities of powerful new technologies.
He praised the government agency, saying its achievements over the past decade included defending the country against cyber attacks, safeguarding democratic institutions and protecting the critical infrastructure that daily life depends on.
In the letter, the monarch said resilience has been built across public services, businesses and communities, equipping the country to prosper in an ever-evolving digital world.
The King also said he was “acutly aware” that much of the NCSC’s work cannot be acknowledged publicly, and said he was filled with “profound gratitude” for it.
The NCSC was established in 2016 as part of the Government Communications Headquarters to protect the UK against cyber threats.
AI warning to executives
Last month, the King addressed AI executives at Dumfries House in Ayrshire, where he warned of the “existential dangers” posed by the technology falling into the wrong hands. The event was attended by Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang.
He told the executives that those who have created the technologies are increasingly warning that AI risks developing darker capacities, “perhaps even to take life”.
The King said there was an “urgency” in adequately considering the existential dangers of such technologies falling into the wrong hands and being used in potentially catastrophic ways.
He added: “The task before you is not merely to advance technology, but to ensure that it remains firmly in the service of humanity, community and the natural world.”
His comments followed a series of recent warnings from people inside the industry about the rapidly evolving capabilities of advanced or “frontier” AI models, and about the regulation needed to keep them in check.
Asos hack
Earlier this week, the NCSC offered assistance to online retailer Asos after customers received a notification sent through its app by hackers, BBC News understands.
The breach made headlines on Tuesday, when criminals used Asos’s own app system to send a pop-up notification to potentially millions of people.
Asos said it was investigating “unauthorised activity” involving third-party platforms. The company told customers that hackers hold detailed profiles of potentially millions of its users, including names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, customer numbers and dates of birth.
The retailer issued that update after BBC News told it cyber criminals had been in contact with the BBC, saying this week’s breach went beyond the “basic contact details” Asos had previously said might have been accessed.
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