AI-Driven Cybersecurity: Finance Ministry and MeitY Direct Banks to Bolster Defenses Against 'Claude Mythos'

In a significant move to safeguard India’s financial infrastructure, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw held a high-level meeting with scheduled commercial banks on April 23, 2026. The primary agenda was to address the escalating threat posed by advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) models, specifically highlighting the emergence of 'Claude Mythos'. This model represents a new generation of AI capable of identifying and weaponizing software vulnerabilities at unprecedented speeds, posing a direct risk to the banking sector's integrity. The government is advocating for a paradigm shift from reactive to proactive cybersecurity. Central to this strategy is the implementation of a robust, real-time threat intelligence sharing mechanism. By integrating bank systems more closely with the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), the government aims to create a unified front where a threat detected by one institution can be instantly mitigated across the entire network. This collective defense is essential because AI-driven attacks can exploit 'zero-day' vulnerabilities—flaws unknown to the software creator—before traditional security patches can be developed.