CERT-In warns MSMEs on new AI risks

New Delhi: India's cybersecurity agency, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has warned that advances in artificial intelligence are pushing cyberattacks into a new phase, with automation and scale bringing them firmly into the spotlight.

In an advisory, CERT-In said frontier AI systems are now capable of autonomously identifying software vulnerabilities, analysing large volumes of source code, and launching complex, multi-stage attacks with minimal human intervention. These systems can chain exploits across multiple systems, allowing attackers to compromise enterprise networks end-to-end, noted the agency.

The agency said this represents a shift from traditional cyber threats, which typically required specialised skills and manual execution. AI-driven automation significantly lowers the barrier for attackers, while increasing the speed, precision and reach of attacks.

The alert highlights growing risks for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which often lack advanced cybersecurity infrastructure. CERT-In has advised such firms to deploy threat detection tools, and to ensure continuous monitoring of networks, and maintain detailed logs for forensic analysis.

It also stressed the need for timely vulnerability disclosure and patch management, noting that delays could leave systems exposed as AI tools accelerate the discovery of weaknesses.
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