Source: PIB
Context: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) released the 2nd Edition of the Digital Threat Report 2025–26 for India’s Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) and payments ecosystem to strengthen cybersecurity preparedness against evolving digital threats.
About the Digital Threat Report 2025–26
What is it?
- The Digital Threat Report 2025–26 is a strategic cybersecurity assessment for India’s Banking, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI) and payments ecosystem.
- It provides financial institutions, regulators and cybersecurity leaders with an assessment of emerging cyber threats, attack trends and mitigation strategies.
- The report is based on Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) investigations, CERT-In and CSIRT-Fin observations, and research on adversarial Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Released By
- Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
- CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team)
- CSIRT-Fin (Computer Security Incident Response Team–Finance)
- SISA Information Security
Objective
- To strengthen cybersecurity resilience across India’s digital financial ecosystem.
- To help financial institutions anticipate evolving cyber threats and build proactive defence mechanisms.
Key Highlights of the Report
- AI Asymmetry: AI enables cybercriminals to launch advanced attacks with fewer resources, reducing the advantage of defenders.
- Shrinking Attack Cycle: Cyber threats now evolve within weeks or months instead of years; 6 of 7 previous predictions have already come true.
- Evolving Cyberattacks: Attacks increasingly mimic legitimate user sessions, approved transactions, and normal business activities, making detection difficult.
- 4-Layer Gap Archetype Framework: Introduces the “Anatomy of Cyber Failure” framework to identify vulnerabilities across four organisational layers.
- 18-Month Roadmap: Recommends stronger cyber controls, continuous risk monitoring, better information sharing, and resilient security architecture.
- Major Threats: Social engineering, credential theft, supply-chain attacks, cloud exploitation, AI-driven attacks, and insider threats.
About CERT-In
- National agency for handling cybersecurity incidents.
- Functions under MeitY.
- Established under the Information Technology Act, 2000 (amended in 2008).
- Functions include:
- Cyber incident response.
- Threat alerts and advisories.
- Vulnerability assessment.
- Coordination during cyber emergencies.
- Issuing cybersecurity guidelines and white papers.
About CSIRT-Fin
- Sectoral Computer Security Incident Response Team for India’s financial sector.
- Coordinates cybersecurity for:
- Banks
- Insurance companies
- Securities market infrastructure
- Pension funds
