Banks bolster cyber defence amid India-Pakistan missile tensions

Indian banks are intensifying cybersecurity measures amid heightened tensions with Pakistan and increased state-sponsored cyber threat alerts. Institutions have activated war rooms to monitor digital infrastructure 24/7 and implemented additional authentication layers for critical transactions. This comes after intelligence inputs warned of potential cyber attacks targeting financial systems as geopolitical tensions escalate. Banks are conducting daily vulnerability scans, restricting remote access, and delaying non-essential system upgrades. The measures follow a 300% increase in attempted cyber intrusions since tensions began, mostly targeting payment systems and customer databases. While causing some operational slowdowns, these precautions aim to prevent potential disruptions to digital banking services. The Finance Ministry has convened daily briefings with CISO teams from major banks to coordinate defenses. This situation highlights the financial sector's vulnerability to geopolitical conflicts in an increasingly digital economy.