Cheapskate cyber strategy won't stop Beijing's finest

UK National Cyber Security Centre CEO Richard Horne, speaking at CYBERUK 2026, warns that China has evolved from a capable cyber threat into a full 'peer competitor in cyberspace' through its whole-of-state approach. He argues that nation-state attackers target critical infrastructure and secrets rather than money, making ransomware-style defenses inadequate. Horne calls for a cultural shift in cybersecurity — treating it as a strategic investment rather than a cost to minimize — and warns against outsourcing security to the cheapest contractor. He also highlights AI as a double-edged force that will expose long-buried software vulnerabilities while potentially being weaponized by adversaries.