The Silent War Beneath Our Infrastructure: Protecting the UK’s Critical National Systems from Persistent Threats
As digital infrastructure becomes increasingly integrated into every aspect of our economy and public life, the threats it faces are becoming more complex, systemic, and stealthy. From telecoms and transport to financial services and healthcare, the foundations of modern Britain are under silent, persistent assault.
Recent conversations with security leaders across the Five Eyes nations, combined with intelligence from the latest CISA–NCSC joint advisory, paint a clear picture: state-sponsored cyber actors are embedding themselves deep into our critical national infrastructure (CNI), bypassing traditional defences and exploiting vulnerabilities in routers, switches and other core systems.
This is no longer about opportunistic attacks. It is strategic infiltration.
Understanding the Threat: When Infrastructure Becomes the Target
Imagine burglars tunnelling not through a door or window, but into the very foundations of your home — embedding themselves in the wiring and walls, quietly learning how everything works, waiting for the right moment to act.
This is how today’s most sophisticated actors, including the Chinese-backed group Salt Typhoon, operate. They exploit low-level network devices, gain covert access to telecoms and logistics systems, and remain undetected for months — sometimes years. Their objectives include surveillance, disruption, and long-term strategic advantage.
Recent reports indicate that:
- 93% of UK CNI organisations have experienced an increase in cyberattacks (Thales, 2025)
- 42% suffered data breaches, while
- 40% cited cloud platforms as the most common attack vector (Bridewell, 2025)
These threats are not theoretical. They are already here, inside our networks, targeting the systems that keep society functioning.
For Boards and Business Owners: Strategic Actions to Take Now
Cyber security can no longer be delegated solely to technical teams. Boards and senior executives must play an active role in securing critical assets.
Over the next 90 days, consider the following as essential actions:
- Demand Board-Level Cyber Briefings
Ensure directors understand the operational and financial impact of persistent cyber threats. - Align Cyber Security with Governance
Integrate NCSC guidance, GDPR, and UK compliance standards into your risk framework. - Invest in Threat Hunting and Collaboration
Proactively work with the NCSC, peer organisations and vendors to detect threats early. - Audit Access, Change Management and Logging Policies
Validate that policies are in place to detect anomalies and prevent unauthorised access. - Harden Infrastructure
Move towards zero-trust architecture, patch known vulnerabilities, and isolate critical systems.
Operational Guidance for Cyber Security Teams
While leadership provides strategic oversight, front-line protection falls to security teams. The latest advisories highlight vulnerabilities such as CVE-2024-21887 and CVE-2023-20198, which are actively being exploited to maintain covert access.
Practical steps include:
- Monitoring ACL anomalies and unusual SSH/HTTPS traffic on non-standard ports
- Tracking lifecycle events related to containers or guest shell access
- Enforcing SNMPv3, and implementing VRF isolation and Control Plane Policing (CoPP)
- Disabling unused services and patching all known vulnerabilities
- Watching for rogue accounts, unauthorised tunnels, or tampered logs
This is a game of visibility and speed. Threat actors are patient. Detection must be proactive, continuous, and data-driven.
The Evolving Threat Landscape: AI, Hybrid Cloud and Supply Chains
Recent developments show how attackers are expanding their techniques and targets:
- Malware distributed through fake TradingView ads and PDF editors
- AI tools misused to create ransomware or automate data theft
- Supply chain attacks exploiting CI/CD platforms like Nx Build
- State-backed persistence across hybrid cloud environments
- Threat actors exploiting gaps in multi-cloud security configurations
These examples confirm that cyber security is now a matter of national resilience, economic stability, and public trust.
Final Reflections: Cyber Security Is a Shared Responsibility
Protecting the UK’s critical national infrastructure is not the job of one team or one organisation. It requires shared ownership — across leadership, security teams, and the broader operational ecosystem.
For boards and executives, this is a strategic governance issue.
For cyber security teams, it is a technical mission.
For society, it is about safeguarding trust in essential services.
We cannot afford to treat cyber security as a back-office function or react only once damage has been done. Just as physical infrastructure is maintained and defended, so too must our digital infrastructure be protected, constantly, collaboratively, and proactively.
Let’s Build Resilience Together
At Secure Recruitment, we connect organisations with cyber professionals who understand the complexity of protecting critical systems — from zero-trust network architects to threat analysts and cyber leaders with frontline experience in regulated environments.
👉 Contact our team today to discuss your security recruitment needs.
👉 Join the Cyber Connect community for insights, resources and collaboration opportunities with peers across the UK and beyond.
Cyber security is no longer optional. It is a strategic responsibility — and one we share.
