UK Military to Deploy Specialist Cyber ‘Hunt Forces’ Overseas
The UK is preparing to deploy specialist military cyber teams overseas to identify and disrupt cyber attacks before they develop into major threats.
The specialist units, known as ‘hunt forces’, will work to track down hostile hackers, identify vulnerabilities and disrupt potential attacks before they can target UK military systems and critical infrastructure.
Major General Mike Fayers, commander of the Defence Cyber and Electromagnetic Force, said the initiative marks a shift towards a more proactive approach to cyber defence, with military personnel potentially being sent overseas to hunt down threats before they reach UK networks.
Speaking to The Times, Major General Fayers warned that the growing sophistication of cyber attacks, particularly those supported by artificial intelligence (AI), was leaving organisations with less and less time to respond.
“Our adversaries are very cunning. This is not just an MoD (Ministry of Defence) issue; this is a whole-of-UK challenge,” he said.
He added that AI was now allowing attackers to exploit vulnerabilities at unprecedented speeds.
“Whereas historically we would have had a few days to fix vulnerabilities, we are now in double-digit minutes to respond to those vulnerabilities.”
Taking the fight to cyber criminals
The proposed operations would see specialist personnel deployed to locations where hostile actors are preparing cyber attacks against UK military systems and networks.
Rather than simply defending domestic infrastructure, the teams would aim to identify and disrupt threats at their source.
“We are trying to hunt for our adversaries in places where they prepare before they target UK military systems,” Major General Fayers explained.
He added: “I mean sending people physically to places to hunt for the adversary to protect our systems virtually. The threat continues to increase in both its complexity and its persistence.”
The operations would require appropriate authorisation, with some missions needing approval from Defence Secretary Wes Streeting.
The move comes amid growing concerns about the vulnerability of essential services, businesses and infrastructure to increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks.
European businesses targeted by cyber attacks
Recent incidents across Europe have highlighted the potential consequences of attacks on everyday infrastructure.
Last week, several blood banks in France were targeted in a cyber attack that attempted to raise storage temperatures to dangerously high levels. Authorities confirmed the attack was stopped before any blood products or samples were damaged.
The incident followed reports from supermarkets in several European countries that hackers had remotely accessed refrigeration systems, causing fridges and freezers to warm up. The resulting disruption led to significant quantities of spoiled food and losses running into millions of euros.
UK meat processing businesses were also affected by related cyber incidents, with the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) confirming that a small number of its approximately 300 members had experienced problems.
Some refrigeration units reportedly warmed up overnight. However, because the affected abattoirs were typically empty at the time, no food products were lost.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said it was working with the affected businesses and described the overall national impact as minimal.
ASOS among major retailers hit by cyber attack
The growing threat is not limited to industrial and essential services. Major retailers have also found themselves targeted.
Fashion retailer ASOS suffered a significant cyberattack last month, prompting an internal investigation.
The company confirmed that hackers had accessed some basic customer information, including names and contact details. However, hackers did not access payment information or account passwords.
ASOS apologised after customers received phone notifications saying the online retailer had been hacked.
The company estimated the incident reduced group sales, measured by gross merchandise value, by about 2% to 4%.
A growing challenge for national security
The deployment of specialist cyber hunt forces reflects the changing nature of modern warfare, where attacks against digital systems can have consequences far beyond military networks.
From disrupting supermarket refrigeration and damaging supply chains to threatening sensitive medical supplies, cyber attacks can increasingly affect critical services and everyday life.
Major General Fayers’ warning about how quickly AI can identify and exploit vulnerabilities highlights the need to respond before attacks take hold.
As threats become more persistent and sophisticated, the UK’s approach to cyber security increasingly focuses on identifying adversaries early, disrupting their operations, and protecting critical infrastructure before significant damage occurs.