Pakistan’s National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) has warned banks, financial institutions and critical infrastructure operators about emerging AI-powered cyber threats that could disrupt digital services, manipulate banking information and compromise essential industrial operations.
In a new advisory titled “Emerging AI-Enabled Cyber Threats Targeting Financial Institutions and OT/Critical Infrastructure,” National CERT said cybercriminals were increasingly using artificial intelligence, automated bots, botnets and agentic tools to identify system vulnerabilities, steal login credentials and launch coordinated attacks.
The advisory warned that banks could face attacks targeting core banking systems, digital platforms, payment gateways and application programming interfaces (APIs). Potential threats include automated login attempts, disruption of online banking and manipulation of account balances displayed to customers, potentially triggering panic even when actual funds remain unchanged.
National CERT also highlighted risks to oil and gas facilities, power networks, water utilities, manufacturing plants and transportation systems. Vulnerabilities in connected devices, industrial control systems and third-party remote access could allow attackers to disrupt physical operations and essential public services.
The advisory recommended multi-factor authentication, stronger access controls, continuous security monitoring and independent transaction reconciliation for financial institutions. Critical infrastructure operators were urged to secure industrial systems, restrict direct internet exposure, separate IT and operational technology networks and strengthen backup procedures.
National CERT also advised organisations to review their preparedness against AI-driven cyberattacks, maintain security logs and report suspected incidents through relevant national cybersecurity channels.
