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MI5 Director General Sir Ken McCallum stated that state threats have quadrupled in the last decade, with Russia as the primary aggressor. He also confirmed attempted Russian interference in the Brexit referendum but noted the result was not in dispute.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
MI5 is devoting more resources to countering state threats than during the Cold War, according to Sir Ken McCallum, the head of the UK’s domestic intelligence service. Speaking at an annual address in London, McCallum said threats from foreign adversaries had quadrupled in the last decade, identifying Russia as "aggressor number one."
McCallum described Russia as waging hybrid warfare, a term used for non-military methods such as cyber-attacks, sabotage, and misinformation designed to destabilize adversaries. He noted that while Russia has stopped short of "conventional conflict" against NATO, it is attempting to unsettle European countries. The MI5 chief stated that Russia’s progress in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine is "minimal and horrifically costly."
According to McCallum, MI5 successes in identifying and expelling Russian spies have left the Kremlin dependent on paying proxies. "With its traditional covert footprint eviscerated by almost 1,000 expulsions since the invasion, the Kremlin's global toolkit is weak," he said. "So we see them scrambling to pay criminals to do their bidding."
The intelligence chief also warned of an expanding hybrid campaign by Iran in the UK. McCallum reported that there had been 50 arrests in the last year over Iran-linked activities. He stated that much of this aggression has been aimed at Jewish communities and "harder targets, like military sites."
Although McCallum did not mention specific arrests at RAF Fairford during his speech, he told reporters afterwards that the incident was "not unique" and that MI5 has seen "Iranian interest beyond RAF Fairford in the UK." Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the incident at the airbase was "almost certainly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard."
McCallum highlighted the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in modern security challenges, stating that AI is "supercharging the cyber-security contest between attackers and defenders." He warned that the biggest threat from the misuse of AI is extremist groups using the technology to harness new and existing bioweapons, though he noted this threat is "not yet realised."
MI5 has launched an AI Threat Assessment Centre to evaluate these risks. McCallum said the agency has "caught terrorists seeking to exploit Al to improve their reconnaissance and attack methodologies, with Al-enabled drones adding a new twist." He also noted that AI can produce propaganda and radicalizing material tailored to individuals.
Regarding domestic terrorism, McCallum said the UK’s terrorism threat level was raised to severe in April, the first time in five years. He identified extreme right-wing terrorism as a significant driver of this increased risk, noting that such terrorism tends to "skew young" and is driven by the internet. He revealed that MI5 recently investigated a "radicalised extreme right-wing 13-year-old here in the UK," which helped an international partner prevent a lethal attack.
Addressing comments by Prime Minister Andy Burnham regarding Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit referendum, McCallum confirmed that Russia attempted to influence the vote. He cited the role of Russian-owned broadcasters RT and Sputnik, which "came in pretty strongly around the time of the referendum" with biased reports, as well as internet trolls and bot farms.
However, McCallum emphasized that there is a difference between "interference attempted" and "outcome achieved." He stated that the result of the 2016 referendum was "not in dispute" and expressed concern that continued debate on the issue might "play into our adversaries' hands by making these trolls look 10ft tall."
The MI5 chief’s assessment underscores a shift in the UK’s security landscape, where state-sponsored hybrid threats and AI-enabled terrorism are becoming more prevalent than traditional espionage. The confirmation of attempted, though unsuccessful, interference in the Brexit referendum highlights the ongoing challenge of distinguishing between attempted influence and actual impact on democratic processes.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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