A “cyber 9/11” could wreak havoc on UK infrastructure and cause unprecedented chaos with the nation unable to access the internet for days on end, the former cyber crime boss at Interpol has warned.

In an interview with The i Paper , Craig Jones says the UK must stay alive to the threat of a catastrophic digital attack.

He said that while it would not lead to a huge loss of life, it could have a devastating impact on our daily lives.

He also warns that large-scale cyber threats come from hostile states such as Russia and Iran, as well as organised criminal networks.

Talk of a “cyber 9/11” or a “cyber Pearl Harbour” has been hotly discussed among defence and cyber security experts for the past decade.

Jones said: “You probably get a vivid image in your head of planes hitting towers

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