UK cyber agency unveils AI-powered Cyber Shield to counter attacks at machine speed

The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has unveiled Cyber Shield, a plan to deploy autonomous AI agents (software programs that can act independently) to find and stop cyberattacks on national networks in real time. The proposal addresses a growing problem: attackers are already using AI to discover vulnerabilities (security weaknesses) and gather information faster than human defenders can respond, compressing activities that once took weeks into minutes. Cyber Shield would use paired AI 'red' and 'blue' agents to identify weaknesses and defend against threats, starting with partnerships in government and critical sectors before expanding commercially.