The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has brought significant changes to global operations. While AI offers benefits in various sectors, it also poses risks exploited by criminals and terrorists. India faces around 3,100 cyber attacks weekly, with cybercriminals increasingly leveraging AI for their activities. Particularly, the government and educational sectors have been prime targets due to vulnerabilities in their cybersecurity infrastructure.
Security agencies highlight cybercrime and cross-border terrorism as major threats to national security, with terrorists using AI for propaganda and video creation. Cybercriminals, on the other hand, swiftly exploit AI to identify system weaknesses and launch coordinated attacks on multiple organizations. They automate phishing and credential harvesting through AI, generating convincing content for social media propaganda.
Intelligence reports reveal that the ISI employs AI to incite tensions in India by creating and disseminating divisive content online. Notably, groups like Babbar Khalsa International and Jaish-e-Mohammad are active in spreading such content. Despite efforts by Indian agencies, the rapid content generation facilitated by AI poses a challenge in countering these activities effectively.
The use of AI by cybercriminals extends to social engineering, where personal data from social media is analyzed to predict and tailor scams. Victims are often enticed with lucrative job offers and persuaded to invest in fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes. The financial impact of cybercrimes in 2025 alone amounted to an estimated loss of Rs 20,000 crore, with AI-driven phishing, digital frauds, and deepfakes being major concerns.
To combat the escalating cyber threats, India has adopted a multi-layered AI-driven defense strategy focusing on proactive measures. Shifting from reactive to proactive AI-based defenses has been crucial in addressing challenges like deepfakes, financial frauds, and AI-driven phishing attacks.
