MI5 Devotes More Resources to State Threats Than During Cold War: Spy Chief

MI5 has expanded its work against hostile states beyond the resources it deployed during the Cold War, its chief said, as Russian and Iranian operations reshape Britain’s security priorities.

Ken McCallum told an annual gathering in London that threats from foreign adversaries had risen fourfold over the past decade.

The service’s response to state threats now operates on roughly the same scale as its counterterrorism work.

He described the two areas as “pretty much of equal scale,” marking a substantial change in MI5’s workload in recent years.

Russia Turns to Criminal Proxies

McCallum identified Russia as the leading state adversary.

He said Moscow was pursuing disruption across Europe while avoiding conventional war with NATO, as its invasion of Ukraine delivered limited gains at a high cost.

The campaign relies on methods such as sabotage, cyberattacks and disinformation. Russia denies responsibility for such operations.

McCallum said the removal of Russian intelligence officers had weakened the Kremlin’s ability to operate covertly.

Almost 1,000 expulsions since the invasion of Ukraine had pushed Moscow toward hiring intermediaries to attempt attacks.

“So we see them scrambling to pay criminals to do their bidding,” he said.

His assessment comes amid warnings from European leaders that Moscow could mount attacks intended to test their countries’ resolve to support Kyiv.

Iran Expands Its Campaign

Iran-linked activity resulted in 50 arrests over the past year, McCallum said. Jewish communities have been prominent targets, alongside military facilities.

Speaking to reporters after his address, he said Iranian interest in British military sites extended beyond RAF Fairford.

Counterterrorism police have arrested and bailed seven people following an incident involving three suspicious vans near the Gloucestershire airbase.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has attributed the operation, with near certainty, to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

McCallum said the National Security Act was being used extensively against activity linked to Iran, Russia and China.

The 2023 legislation targets people acting against U.K. interests on behalf of foreign powers.

AI Adds New Security Risks

MI5 is also confronting efforts by extremists to incorporate artificial intelligence into their operations, from personalized propaganda to reconnaissance and attack planning.

“We've caught terrorists seeking to exploit AI to improve their reconnaissance and attack methodologies, with AI-enabled drones adding a new twist.”

McCallum identified the potential use of AI to develop or exploit biological weapons as the most serious danger from extremist misuse of the technology.

He stressed that this threat had yet to materialize.

MI5, MI6 and GCHQ are working with the U.K.’s AI Security Institute to assess those risks.

McCallum also announced an AI Threat Assessment Center within MI5 to distinguish credible dangers from exaggerated claims.

Terrorism Remains a Major Demand

The growth in state-threat work comes alongside continuing pressure from terrorism. Britain raised its terrorism threat level to severe in April, indicating that an attack is highly likely.

McCallum said al-Qaeda and Islamic State continued to encourage and direct attacks. Extreme right-wing terrorism had also contributed significantly to the increased risk.

He highlighted cases in which anti-immigration and anti-Muslim grievances had developed into terrorist intent, often among young people radicalized online.

One recent MI5 investigation concerned a 13-year-old in Britain. Information obtained through that case helped an overseas partner prevent a deadly attack, he said.