UK public worries cyber warfare will be next major conflict

New research conducted on behalf of the International Cyber Expo has revealed that a significant majority of the UK public believe cyber warfare is likely to be the next step in modern combat.

According to the survey, over 70% (72%) of respondents think cyber warfare is imminent, and 6% even believe that a "cyber war" is already underway.

The survey, conducted by OnePoll, involved 2,000 UK consumers aged 16 and above. It comes at a time when geopolitical tensions are on the rise and cyberattacks are becoming increasingly frequent. Despite the UK government's investment of GBP £54.2 billion on defence in the 2023/24 financial year, a majority of the public perceives cyberspace as the next battleground.

More than half of the respondents (52%) believe that cyber warfare will be combined with physical tactics in future conflicts, while 20% think cyber warfare will surpass physical warfare entirely. A mere 5% do not see cyber warfare replacing traditional physical warfare.

Tarquin Folliss, Vice Chairman of the Security and Special Interest Group (SASIG), commented on the survey findings: "Cyberspace is the perfect grey zone between war and peace. State and non-state actors can operate in this ambiguous and frequently anonymised domain more aggressively and with greater risk appetite than they would in the physical world. The danger of miscalculation is consequently far more heightened. So, the public is right to worry about conflict in cyberspace and where it could lead. Cyber warfare, however, is unlikely to develop as an independent capability or effect. The weaponisation of cyberspace will continue to evolve as one component of the armoury that governments can call on to prosecute war."

The research also highlighted the various cyber threats that concern the British public. Topping the list was the fear of cyberattacks targeting critical national infrastructure (CNI), with 54% of respondents apprehensive about such incidents. Geopolitical activities (43%), the use of artificial intelligence in online scams (33%), and disinformation swaying global politics (31%) also ranked high among the concerns.

The risk of cyber warfare and deepfakes concerned 31% and 21% of respondents respectively. Other threats such as phishing emails (15%), social engineering (12%), and fake ads or giveaways (12%) also made the list. Interestingly, 6% of those surveyed mentioned that cybercriminal activities do not scare them.

The impact of cyberattacks on CNI has already manifested in real-world incidents. The cyberattack on Synnovis in June 2024 disrupted NHS services across the UK, leading to the cancellation of more than 200 'life-saving' operations.

The International Cyber Expo, taking place next week at Olympia London, aims to address these issues by bringing together leading experts in cybersecurity. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in workshops, live demos, and discussions on the latest trends, research, and predictions in the field of cybersecurity.