India's cybersecurity agency warns of AI-powered cyberattacks, urges faster fixes
What's the story
India's top cybersecurity agency, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), has issued a warning about a new wave of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted cyber threats. The agency said that advancements in AI are drastically reducing the time organizations have to detect, respond to, and contain attacks. In a recently released 38-page blueprint titled "Blueprint for Reducing Exposure and Defending against AI-Assisted Vulnerabilities Exploitation in Digital Infrastructure," CERT-In laid out recommendations for organizations across sectors.
Cyber threat evolution
AI tools automating vulnerability discovery, phishing campaigns
The CERT-In blueprint highlights how AI tools are automating vulnerability discovery, speeding up phishing campaigns, and executing sophisticated attacks at an unprecedented pace. The document comes amid global concerns that advanced AI models could soon enable cybercriminals to discover and exploit software weaknesses far faster than human attackers ever could. CERT-In said organizations should prepare for a future where cyberattacks become faster, more adaptive, and increasingly automated.
AI impact
Generative AI, LLMs accelerating attacks
CERT-In has warned that AI is fundamentally changing the nature of cyberattacks. The agency said threat actors are extensively using generative AI, large language models (LLMs), autonomous agents, and automation platforms to scale attacks and shorten exploitation windows. Tasks that once required highly skilled hackers and weeks of preparation can now potentially be executed in hours or even minutes with AI assistance.
Risk assessment
CERT-In identifies key risks
Among the primary risks identified by CERT-In are AI-driven reconnaissance, adaptive malware, automated vulnerability scanning, AI-generated phishing campaigns, and deepfake-enabled fraud. The agency warned that highly personalized phishing attacks, executive impersonation schemes and AI-generated social engineering campaigns are likely to become far more convincing and difficult to detect. It also highlighted the growing risk posed by autonomous AI agents capable of carrying out semi-automated or fully automated cyber operations across multiple stages of an attack chain.
Security strategies
Agency calls for rapid mitigation of vulnerabilities
CERT-In has advised organizations to patch known vulnerabilities affecting internet-facing and "crown jewel" systems within 12 hours wherever feasible. Critical externally exposed vulnerabilities should be addressed within 24 hours, while high-severity flaws affecting important systems should be mitigated within three to five days depending on exposure levels. The agency stressed that periodic audits and reactive responses are no longer sufficient in an AI-driven threat environment.
Security enhancement
Strengthening resilience against AI-assisted threats
To strengthen resilience, CERT-In has urged organizations to adopt "assume breach" strategies focused on rapid detection, containment, and recovery rather than relying solely on prevention. The framework recommends broader adoption of zero-trust security principles, including multi-factor authentication, privileged access management, micro-segmentation, and continuous session monitoring. The agency also pushed for stronger protections against software supply chain attacks through the adoption of Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs) and related frameworks designed to improve visibility into software dependencies.