UK spy agencies have placed an order with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to host classified information as part of a deal aimed at promoting the use of data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) for espionage, the Financial reported Times on Monday.
UK espionage agency GCHQ has campaigned for the acquisition of a high-security cloud system that will be used by sister services MI5 and MI6 and other government departments such as the Department of Defense in joint operations, the report added.
The contract was signed earlier this year with AWS, the cloud services unit of Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), and all authorities’ data will remain in the UK, the newspaper reported, citing people familiar with the discussions.
GCHQ said it would not comment on reports of its relationships with technology providers. AWS declined to comment on the report.
In February, UK cyber spies told the GCHQ eavesdropping agency they had made full use of artificial intelligence to uncover patterns in vast amounts of global data to counter hostile misinformation and catch child molesters.
The GCHQ has been using basic forms of AI, such as translation technology, for years, but is now stepping up its use, partly in response to the use of AI by hostile states and partly because of the data explosion that makes it effective.
On Monday, GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming told a conference that the number of ransomware attacks in the UK had doubled in 2021 compared to the previous year, the FT said.
