The UK military is deploying specialized cyber teams overseas to identify and disrupt hostile hackers before they can attack British defense networks, according to a new report from The Times.
Major General Mike Fayers, commander of the UK’s Defence Cyber and Electromagnetic Force, revealed that personnel are conducting forward-deployed operations across Europe and Asia with the consent of host nations. The force, comprising more than 700 military and civilian personnel, also searches Ministry of Defence networks for intruders and hidden malware that could be activated during a conflict.
Fayers warned that AI is accelerating cyberattacks, reducing the time available to respond to newly exploited vulnerabilities from days to minutes. The Ministry of Defence reported approximately 90,000 state-linked cyberattacks over the past two years, double the previous period.
Darin Fredde, Senior Director and Offensive Security Evangelist, Ridge Security
“Waiting for an attacker to reach your network before looking for them is becoming an increasingly expensive strategy.
“What interests me about the UK’s approach isn’t simply deploying cyber teams overseas. It’s the recognition that effective defense increasingly requires understanding adversaries, their capabilities, and the paths they may take before an attack reaches its intended target.
“AI may compress attack timelines, but speed alone doesn’t determine the outcome. Visibility, preparation, intelligence, and tested security controls still matter.
“Organizations don’t need military cyber teams to adopt this mindset. They need proactive threat hunting, continuous offensive testing, and the discipline to validate complete attack paths rather than simply count vulnerabilities.
“The objective isn’t to win every game of cat and mouse. It’s to make sure the mouse doesn’t already have the keys to the house.”
ㅤ
Seemant Sehgal, Founder & CEO, BreachLock
“Forward hunting buys defenders time, and that time pays off only for those who already know which of their systems an attacker can reach. Behind the 90,000 attacks the MoD reported, the number that decides outcomes is how many found a path that already existed. When the response window shrinks from days to minutes, any weakness you have not already found and closed will be reached first.”
ㅤ
John Strand, Owner, Black Hills Information Security
“I think this kind of forward thinking from militaries around the world is absolutely essential. It also scares me. Both can be true.
“I’ll be one of the first people to say that militaries need offensive cyber capabilities. Full stop. If the NSA, NRO, CIA and, within its authorities, the FBI aren’t looking at how those capabilities fit into their missions, then what the hell are we paying them for?
“The UK is moving in this direction, and I think that’s necessary because our adversaries are already doing it. It’s disturbing to see countries tie their own hands while their adversaries are willing to do whatever they want. There is no scenario where simply hoping the other side shows restraint works out.
“But we also have to talk about escalation. As with almost any military option, cyber or kinetic, there is a risk that your actions trigger a response and that response drives the next escalation. There are going to be problems, and we need to be honest about them.
“You can hold both things in your head at the same time. You can recognize the danger of escalation and still understand the absolute necessity of having offensive capabilities.”
Maybe the US needs to take a page out of the UK playbook here? Just a thought?
AI Adoption is rising, yet Readiness is falling
Posted in Commentary with tags Kyndryl on November 10, 2026 by itnerdKyndryl today released the findings from its third annual Readiness Report, revealing a widening divide between the returns organizations are seeing from AI and their readiness to manage the risks and demands that come with it.
While 64% of leaders report positive returns on AI investments, up 10 points from 2025, average readiness across external risks fell seven points to 24%. The steepest declines were in readiness for cyber threats and competitive disruption, as AI puts new pressure on business models, technology foundations and how organizations operate.
This year’s report captures the attitudes and actions of 3,700 senior business leaders across 21 countries. The data shows a dichotomy: while organizations are racing to deliver returns on significant AI investments, they simultaneously feel ill-equipped to navigate the implications for the AI era.
The report shows how organizations are making progress and adapting their AI strategies:
The transition from experimentation to broader, sustained adoption remains uneven, particularly in the workforce and talent. Organizations have further to go in adapting how people work:
Additional findings in the report include:
Security concerns drive down confidence
For the third year in a row, security concerns topped the list of external risks, and this year contributed most to the overall decline in readiness. Just 26% of firms said they were completely ready for cyberattacks, a drop of 11 points from last year. Three in four leaders say AI helps their organizations identify threats faster, even as confidence in their ability to respond to cyberattacks has declined.
Concern about AI challenges established business models
The second-largest drop in readiness came from leaders’ concerns about competitive disruptions outside of their industry (-10 points from 2025, to 23%). The finding comes as AI agents and other new technologies are being deployed to erode established industry boundaries, and leaders described both challenges of adopting new technologies and questioning established products and business models.
Retailers, for instance, are weighing how to benefit from AI shopping assistants without forfeiting direct customer relationships; software companies face questions about SaaS models as AI rebalances the build-versus-buy equation; and financial institutions are challenged by emerging lending models.
Leaders put a premium on sovereignty, but action remains limited
The research also captures how leaders are considering digital sovereignty in a year marked by greater actions by governments, most visibly in the European Union. Notably, leaders in the EU are slightly less likely to have taken sovereignty-related actions compared to those in the rest of the world. It also captures the trade-offs organizations may need to make: 68% say solutions offering full operational control, should they need it, are worth a premium of 10% or more, and 60% say greater control is worth slower deployment and adoption of advanced capabilities.
Modernized infrastructure isn’t necessarily AI-ready
For the third year in a row, leaders said upgrading their IT infrastructure was the number one action their organizations are taking to mitigate external risks, and 71% rate their infrastructure as mostly or fully modernized. Yet two-thirds of CIOs surveyed think their technology foundations need significant re-architecture before being fully ready for AI at scale. Leaders are also making a distinction between a modern IT estate and one ready for the increased demands of artificial intelligence.
Read the Kyndryl Readiness Report.
Leave a comment »