Global cybersecurity firm Kaspersky plans to significantly increase its investments in India, leveraging the country as a hub for regional services due to strong financial performance and the escalating threat landscape.
India's cybersecurity agency, CERT-In, has issued a critical advisory warning about autonomous AI agents accessing sensitive data of Indian organisations without authorisation. Government sources on Friday emphasised the need for companies to bolster cybersecurity measures and monitor system activity, noting that while no major compromise occurred, the incident serves as an early warning. Future AI regulation is expected to address the risks posed by these agents.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman convened a high-level meeting with bank heads to assess cybersecurity risks linked to advanced AI models, following concerns over Anthropic's Claude Mythos system and its potential impact on financial data security.
Patrice Caine, Chairman and CEO of Thales, highlighted Artificial Intelligence as both a major cybersecurity challenge, accelerating attack speed and autonomy, and a crucial tool for defenders. He also warned about quantum computing's future threat to encrypted data. Thales introduced new AI-powered solutions like Luna 8 and CipherTrust DSPM at its Cyber Summit 2026 to combat these evolving threats.
Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala announced plans to strengthen the state police's Cyberdome to combat cybersecurity threats and deploy indigenously developed robots for traffic management and disaster response. He emphasised the need for coordinated efforts to address growing cyber challenges and protect critical infrastructure, while also highlighting the role of the CoCoN conference in sharing knowledge.
SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey stated that cybersecurity is now a board-level concern, not just an IT challenge, emphasising the need for caution when deploying artificial intelligence in critical infrastructure. He highlighted that AI for cybersecurity must be secure, governed, and accountable, and also addressed the emerging risks from quantum computing, urging collective resilience and sharing of best practices among regulators.
Gaganyaan astronaut Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair stressed the critical importance of AI sovereignty for national cybersecurity, citing the increasing difficulty in distinguishing between real and fake content due to AI. Speaking at the Kerala Cyber Suraksha Summit, Nair highlighted that future conflicts and industries would involve a 'whole-of-nation approach,' blurring physical and digital boundaries. He urged greater awareness of digital threats and emphasised India's need to build on its technological capabilities in AI and cybersecurity, drawing parallels with the success of Chandrayaan-3. Other speakers also underscored the rising threat of cyberattacks and the potential for Kerala to contribute to national technology requirements.
'The government has to act as one unit since the threat from these newer models will soon scale up.'
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has urged the Reserve Bank of India to accelerate its central bank digital currency initiatives, emphasising the need to sharpen capabilities with the digital rupee amidst rapid advancements in tokenisation, agentic AI, and quantum computing. She also highlighted critical concerns regarding cybersecurity, warning that autonomous AI systems are evolving rapidly and require robust safeguards. Sitharaman proposed a federated industry platform to give India's technology ecosystem a collective international voice.
Indian digital certification authority eMudhra has reported a compromise of private keys for some of its global TLS and code-signing certificates, according to Cert-In. This incident, while eMudhra states it has limited impact on its Indian operations, could allow cybercriminals to impersonate websites. Separately, SBI has disclosed a suspected exposure of nearly 4,000 customer records on the dark web.
MI5 Director General Ken McCallum has issued a stark warning about artificial intelligence "supercharging" cybersecurity challenges and national security risks. He revealed that terrorists are already exploiting AI for attack capabilities and announced the launch of the AI Threat Assessment Centre (AITAC). McCallum also highlighted a fourfold increase in threats from hostile states like Russia, Iran, and China, urging public resilience.
India's largest bank, SBI, is investigating the suspected exposure of 3,897 customer records containing personally identifiable information on the dark web. The bank received alerts on October 16 and has initiated cyber incident response protocols, engaging an independent cybersecurity agency. While a detailed assessment is underway, SBI states the incident has not materially impacted its core business operations. This comes as CERT-In also warned last week about autonomous AI agents accessing confidential data and reported a compromise of eMudhra's private keys.
'Periods of geopolitical uncertainty often see a rise in coordinated cyber threats, disinformation campaigns, and infrastructure targeting.'
Airtel Business CEO Sharat Sinha stated that evolving architecture and methodologies for safely deploying Artificial Intelligence, coupled with adequate guardrails, are essential to unlock productivity gains. He welcomed the government's upcoming consultation paper on AI regulation, focusing on safety, deepfakes, and a human-first approach. Sinha also highlighted AI's role in driving demand for digital infrastructure and Airtel's growth in cybersecurity and fraud prevention.
A cybersecurity expert warns that cyberattacks are increasingly targeting critical infrastructure, posing direct risks to human lives beyond mere data theft. The convergence of IT and OT expands the attack surface, making sectors like aviation, transport, and public utilities highly vulnerable.
India's IT Ministry sources state the country will not slow down its Artificial Intelligence development, distinguishing its focus on people-centric applications from global concerns over frontier models. The government acknowledges AI safety risks and is tightening incident reporting norms, with IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasising regulation for user safety.
A 19-year-old self-described ethical hacker who exposed the alleged security gaps in CBSE's on-screen marking system (OSM) was recruited by IIT-Kanpur's cybersecurity research hub, an official said on Thursday.
Airtel Africa's mobile payments arm, Airtel Money, has filed for an initial public offering (IPO) on the London Stock Exchange, with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) agreeing to purchase shares worth up to $90 million at the final offer price.
A new book by cybersecurity expert Durga Prasad Dube explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping the global digital landscape and creating new cyber risks.
India has experienced a significant increase in cybersecurity incidents since 2021, with Delhi reporting the highest number of cases. The government is taking steps to address these threats through various initiatives and platforms.
'...A new challenge has emerged in the form of Mythos.'
Quantum computing is set to redefine artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and scientific discovery, promising unprecedented speeds and capabilities while also necessitating urgent development of quantum-safe security measures and strategic enterprise readiness, says Sunil Varghese.
While methods such as generative user awareness remain among the most efficient and low-cost mechanisms for preventing cybersecurity incidents, they are becoming less effective as attacks become more sophisticated.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the democratisation of technology to ensure no section of society is left behind, advocating for affordable and accessible digital services, especially for the Global South. He highlighted the potential of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and called for solutions to cyber fraud, global standards for emerging tech, and mechanisms to identify AI-generated content during his interaction with GSMA board members.
Cybersecurity specialists warn AI-driven attacks require continuous threat monitoring instead of periodic security checks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged for a global framework to combat cross-border cyber frauds and deepfakes, highlighting the need for governments, tech companies, telecom operators, and financial institutions to collaborate. Speaking at the India Mobile Congress 2026, Modi stressed that technology thrives on trust and that India is ready to share its expertise in tackling cyber threats. He also noted the rapid expansion of 5G and the success of digital governance initiatives like Direct Benefit Transfer.
"Our endeavour is to bring headline inflation in line with the target over the medium term," said RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, addressing concerns about the central bank's policy stance and economic outlook.
Two IIT Gandhinagar students have developed "TrustGate," an AI-based cybersecurity system designed to protect critical infrastructure like water treatment plants and power grids. The system uniquely combines network traffic and physical sensor data to detect sophisticated cyber attacks, identify affected equipment, and provide real-time alerts to operators, earning them an international award.
Discover the latest movies and series hitting OTT platforms this week, like Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day, alongside a diverse array of K-dramas, Hindi films, and regional Indian content.
RBI Deputy Governor Rohit Jain highlighted that banks are well-positioned to deploy $133 billion mobilised through FCNR(B) deposits, especially with strong credit demand ahead of the festival season, while also stressing the importance of robust technology governance and cyber defences in the financial sector.
BRICS leaders, in their New Delhi Declaration 2026, have called for wider access to Artificial Intelligence resources and stronger international cooperation to ensure the technology is safe, secure, inclusive, and reliable. The declaration outlines a broad technology agenda covering AI, cybersecurity, digital public infrastructure, telecom, quantum technologies, and advanced manufacturing, committing to implement the grouping's statement on 'Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence'.
IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the Indian government will release a consultation paper on AI regulations within a month. This framework will address critical aspects like AI safety, deepfakes, and a human-first approach, emphasising the industry's primary responsibility in ensuring safe AI deployment. The move comes amidst growing global concerns over AI risks and the need for robust safeguards.
Cybersecurity breaches have emerged as the top risk shaping organisational performance, with 61 per cent of respondents identifying it as the primary risk, said a Ficci and EY report.
The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has dismissed recent media reports of an alleged cybersecurity incident and data breach as "incorrect and unverified." Officials clarified that investigations found no evidence of an active cyber attack or data exfiltration, stating that any leaked data is unclassified, outdated, and fabricated by threat actors for financial gain.
A frozen phone screen, a fake customer-care call, a screen-sharing request or even a duplicate SIM can give cybercriminals a route into your bank account.
'You cannot stop these models from getting better. There is competitive and business pressure and if the US stops then maybe China will go ahead.'
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met with bank heads to discuss risks related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) following global concerns over Anthropic's Mythos model and its potential threat to financial systems' data security.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met with bank heads to discuss risks related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) following global concerns over Anthropic's Mythos model threatening data security of financial systems.
EY India has launched its Cyber Performance Management (CPM) platform, an integrated solution designed to help enterprises quantify and manage cyber risk in real-time. This platform leverages AI and cybersecurity to provide decision intelligence, enabling organisations to identify and address threats proactively and translate cyber exposure into financial insights.
''When these agents are deployed at enterprise-grade scale, your risk will not just amplify, it will mutate.' 'And the reason is because you will have ungoverned agents.'
