UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has revealed it was targeted by a staggering 5.4 million cyber attacks so far in 2025 — marking a sixfold increase over the previous year. The dramatic rise in incidents highlights the escalating cybersecurity threat facing UK institutions, with experts attributing the surge to increasingly sophisticated attacks powered by artificial intelligence (AI).
Data released through Freedom of Information requests shows the majority of the threats were phishing attempts, with more than 236,000 designed to deceive employees into sharing sensitive information. An additional 11,200 incidents involved malware, while the remainder consisted of spam or malicious email campaigns.
AI Fuelling Cybercrime at Unprecedented Speed
Cybersecurity analysts warn that the rapid evolution of AI tools is allowing attackers to launch more complex and frequent attacks. Rick Boyce, Chief for Technology at AND Digital, said AI is fuelling threats “at a pace we’ve never seen before” and urged organisations to adopt advanced, adaptive defences beyond traditional security measures.
High-Value Targets Draw Hostile State Actors
UKRI, the UK’s main science funding body, operates under the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and controls an annual budget of £8 billion. Much of this is channelled into cutting-edge research, making it an attractive target for state-sponsored cyber espionage and criminal organisations seeking to steal intellectual property or sabotage infrastructure.
Security experts suggest the nature and scale of the attacks may indicate involvement by hostile nation states, with Russia being a likely suspect. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has repeatedly warned of threats from Russian groups, including military intelligence unit 29155, known for targeting UK government systems and infrastructure.
UK’s Cyber Landscape Growing More Dangerous
While UKRI cautioned that reporting timeframes might affect direct year-on-year comparisons, it acknowledged the severity of the threat. The growing presence of hacking groups such as Fancy Bear and Sandworm is contributing to a deeply volatile cyber landscape.
With AI tools enhancing the capabilities of cybercriminals and state-backed hackers, cybersecurity experts are urging public institutions and research bodies to enhance their digital defences or risk significant data breaches and infrastructure disruption.
