Major UK security shake up as country prepares for 'growing threats at home'

Britain is launching a major beefing up of security, preparing for war, terrorism, cyber attacks and organised crime. A large-scale overhaul of Britain’s safety procedures has been ordered amid concern Britons are facing “growing threats at home” and abroad according to Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

It comes as MI5 warns a terror attack is “likely,” war in Europe between Ukraine and Russia, Israel ’s wars in the Middle East and cyber and espionage attacks from abroad. Introducing the new paper Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “Russian aggression menaces our continent. Strategic competition is intensifying. Extremist ideologies are on the rise. Technology is transforming the nature of both war and domestic security. Hostile state activity takes place on British soil."

“It is an era of radical uncertainty, and we must navigate it with agility, speed and a clear-eyed sense of the national interest.” The document calls for the WWII spiritto rally Brits against threats and says: "The years ahead will test the UK… We will need agility and courage to succeed, but we should be optimistic.

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"We remain a resolute country, rich in history, values and in our capabilities. But most of all, there is the determination of the British people themselves. After all, we do not need to look too far into our history for an example of a whole-of-society effort, motivated by a collective will to keep each other safe. We can mobilise that spirit again and use it both for our national security and the rebuilding of our country."

Here are the major threats, according to the new National Security Strategy:

Nuclear war

It says arms control measures have failed to stop nuclear proliferation - highlighted by fears Iran was making a bid for atomic bombs. And Russia could attack the UK as it tries to expand militarily. Atomic-armed China is also a growing threat to the west as it is aligned with Russia, Iran and even North Korea.

It says: "The threat to the UK and our allies from nuclear weapons is once again growing. Tackling this challenge is likely to be more complex than it was even in the Cold War, with more states with more nuclear weapons, the further proliferation of nuclear and disruptive technology and the failure of international arms control arrangements to keep pace."

International war

The document warns: “...adversaries are laying the foundations for future conflict, positioning themselves to move quickly to cause major disruption to our energy and or supply chains, to deter us from standing up to their aggression. For the first time in many years, we have to actively prepare for the possibility of the UK homeland coming under direct threat, potentially in a wartime scenario.

The government says wars abroad between major states could have a devastating knock-on effect on British citizens. It says “Warfare between major powers, an international security crisis, or a situation with multiple-contingencies across different regions, is an active possibility.”

It highlights “tensions betweenIndia and Pakistan” reaching “ their highest levels for decades. And it adds: “We have seen direct military conflict between Israel and Iran. This follows years of aggressive and destabilising activity by the Iranian regime which has included activity specifically targeted against UK interests at home and overseas.

“Significant escalation in any of these theatres would have a profoundly negative impact on our energy security, the cost of living and our ability to grow our economy.”

Hostile states and crime

It comes amid major fears hostile states can employ criminals within the UK as the line between state-sponsored terror or espionage and crime becomes blurred. It warns: "It may become more difficult to identify hostile state activity as they make use of terrorist and criminal groups as their proxies.

“Our reliance on data centres and other forms of digital infrastructure will also increase vulnerabilities to cyber attack." The Mirror understands that increasingly Russia and Iran are turning to crime gangs to launch attacks at arm’s length, particularly in the UK.

A source told us: “Both Russia and Iran are very motivated to launching sabotage, espionage or physical threats to life missions within Britain. Employing the use of criminals is cheaper and less long-term than using highly-trained operatives such as special forces or intelligence officers. It also gives hostile states deniability.”

Artificial intelligence

Growth of Artificial Intelligence and new technology have also sounded alarm bells. It says hypersonic missiles and AI-enhanced systems will create bigger challenges than existing arsenals. And it warns: “Technology will also create new vulnerabilities and change the character of conflict.”

China, North Korea, Iran and even Russia are trying to develop an AI capability allowing them to release “swarms” of drones for attack. With the right programming these would be extremely difficult to shoot down or disable if they flew in overwhelming numbers, controlled by artificial intelligence responding at lightning speed.

New chenical, biological weapons and lightning-fast missiles

The chilling new study announces Britain will have to prepare to battle against devastating new weapons. It warns: "New chemical and biological weapons may be developed and proliferate. Hypersonic missiles and AI-enhanced systems will be supplemented by mass-produced, low sophistication capabilities like drones.

"Some of these technologies will be available to a wider range of threat actors, posing new challenges to traditional concepts of deterrence and escalation."

Terror

And there is a heightened risk of radicalised groups or lone wolves attacking. It warns: The combined threat from terrorists, criminals and lone actors will evolve as instability overseas feeds radicalisation and extremism in the UK. “Ungoverned spaces in the Middle East and North Africa will accentuate these challenges, along with illegal migration.

“Terrorism - from Islamist and Extreme Right Wing ideologies - will remain a persistent, and diversifying threat. The number of vulnerable young people who are desensitised, exploited and radicalised online is likely to increase, alongside more individuals who are fixated by extreme violence.

Espionage

The document warns: “Threats to the homeland from state actors are increasing. “The UK is directly threatened by hostile activities including assassination, intimidation, espionage, sabotage, cyber attacks and other forms of democratic interference. These have targeted our citizens, institutions, journalists, universities and businesses. “Adversaries threaten societal cohesion and seek to erode public trust through the spread of disinformation, malign use of social media and stoking tensions between generations, genders and ethnic groups.

Russian warships have attempted to map out North Sea underwater cables linking internet communication between the UK, Europe and America in preparation for sabotage attacks. The document says:

“Meanwhile, critical national infrastructure – including undersea cables, energy pipelines, transportation and logistics hubs – will continue to be a target. “It may become more difficult to identify hostile state activity as they make use of terrorist and criminal groups as their proxies. Our reliance on data centres and other forms of digital infrastructure will also increase vulnerabilities to cyber attack.”

Cyber attacks and cyber security

Criminal gangs, some aligned to hostile states have laundered £100 bn through the UK or UK corporate structures annually, some of it on the internet. An attack by the Wannacry hackers on the NHS cost an estimated £92 m and 19,000 medical appointments

Last year alone, over 40% of UK businesses reported experiencing a cyber security breach or attack. And the total cost to society of fraud against individuals was estimated to be at least £6.6 bn.

Even climate change

A lack of water in areas such as the semi-arid Sahel region of Africa, stretching in a wide band from Senegal on the Atlantic coast to Sudan on the Red Sea is being effected. This region, Mirror sources have revealed, faces drought, desertification, poverty, and conflict. Terrorism has gravitated to the region in the form of al-Qaeda and Islamic State, leading to mass refugee numbers fleeing the country, further pressurising Europe, the Mirror can reveal.

The new document says: "We will have to contend with the effects of climate change and potential ecosystem collapse, biological threats, demographic shifts, continued urbanisation, threats to human health, slow economic growth, inequality, and competition for basic resources, including food and water.”

And it adds: “Alongside our international partners, we are taking action to deliver secure energy, financial security and green growth at home, restoring the UK’s position as a climate leader on the world stage.”