Britain warned it must be prepared to launch cyber attacks on enemies or risk 'falling behind' in modern warfare

Air Marshal Phil Osborn warns that cyber attacks by hostile states could ‘cripple’ UK

Britain must be prepared to launch cyber attacks on enemies or risk “falling behind” in modern warfare, the head of defence intelligence has warned.

Air Marshal Phil Osborn warned that online offensives could have “nationally crippling effects in minutes”, with the UK already being hit by hackers in Russia, North Korea and Iran.

“We can see numerous examples: unprecedented industrial espionage activity against the UK and allies, private security contractors being used in high-end capability warfare in Syria, cyber attacks against national infrastructure and reputation across Europe, information operations that attempt to pervert political process and frustrate the rule of law, and attempted assassinations,” he said in a lecture to the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI).

“Without change, we risk quickly falling behind in today and tomorrow’s full-spectrum confrontation.

“This context demands that we are more strategic in our approach, and that our capabilities are better tailored to this accelerating shift in operational environment. ‘More of the same’ just won’t cut it.”

The Chief of Defence Intelligence warned that the world was becoming “more dangerous, uncertain and unpredictable”, with the threat from hostile states and competition between rival nations increasing at a pace the government previously underestimated.

He said that when he took his post in 2015 it was “unthinkable” that Russia would invade Crimea, allegedly influence American elections, or openly be part of proxy wars across the Middle East.

Air Marshal Osborn spoke as Vladimir Putin and Angela Merkel met in Sochi (AP)

“Just some three months ago, it would have been inconceivable to imagine that we would see a highly likely state-sponsored chemical weapons attack in a British city,” the former RAF commander added.

“The nature of warfare is changing to something that is broader than previously.”

Air Marshal Osborn said the military application of new technology action was having a transformative effect on the way wars were fought.

“The aggressive application of machine-learning, artificial intelligence and quantum computing to full-spectrum operations is likely to be as disruptive to modern warfare as air power was some 100 years ago,” he said.

Multi-layered warfare is making it possible for countries to positively collaborate in one arena and prepare for direct conflict in another, he continued, arguing that Britain must ensure it has “information advantage” over its enemies and competitors: “This ability to wage hidden and difficult to attribute warfare, in cyberspace and elsewhere, brings the opportunity to be much more aggressive and to take risk … we need to compete, sometimes proactively, and certainly not just observe.”

The senior officer said GCHQ was already building its “offensive cyber mission” and hinted at wider-ranging information operations.

Deception and the ability to adapt will be critical, he argued, alongside controlling the “narrative” against disinformation campaigns – as seen over Syria, Ukraine, the downing of MH17 and now Salisbury.

Cyber warfare, electromagnetic weapons, machine learning and artificial intelligence are all being developed by the military, which aspires to “use of every platform as a sensor”.

As Brexit approaches, Air Marshal Osborn said Nato, Five Eyes and other international alliances were essential for national security and maintaining the current strategic status quo, as states including North Korea develop cyber, nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

“The threat is obvious,” he concluded. “If we fall behind either key allies or prospective opponents, we will fall behind exponentially and likely irrevocably. The imperative to act, and act quickly, is compelling.”

Air Marshal Osborn spoke as the British and Russian governments clashed once again over the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in Salisbury.

After the NHS announced that the former double agent had been discharged from hospital, Vladimir Putin claimed he would have been “dead on the spot” if novichok had been used.

The Kremlin has denied involvement in the attack and dismissed an international investigation that confirmed Britain’s identification of the substance used.

Amid tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions, the Russian ambassador has accused the UK of “kidnapping” Mr Skripal and his daughter as state-owned media airs conspiracy theories.

On Friday, Boris Johnson told a chemical weapons conference in France that Russia was violating international law and threatening the “rules-based order that keeps us all safe”.

Last month, the first-ever joint “technical alert” issued by the US and UK warned that Russian hackers were targeting millions of devices around the world to spy, steal information and build networks for potentially devastating future cyber attacks.

Other groups also pose a threat, with North Korea accused of being behind the WannaCry ransomware that paralysed the NHS last year and a “sustained” attack on Parliament’s email system attributed to Iran.