ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) has cautioned financial institutions and operators of critical national infrastructure against an increasing threat of cyberattacks powered by artificial intelligence (AI).
In a security advisory issued through the Cabinet Division, the National CERT said cybercriminals were increasingly exploiting sophisticated AI tools, automated bots, botnets and agentic systems to launch faster and more complex attacks.
The warning said banking networks, online payment systems and mobile banking applications were particularly vulnerable to cyber disruptions. It also cautioned that tampering with displayed account balances could create widespread public panic and undermine confidence in the financial system.
The advisory also identified several critical infrastructure sectors as potential targets, including oil and gas facilities, water supply systems, power plants and electricity distribution networks.
Industrial manufacturing units and transportation management systems were also listed among the areas exposed to sophisticated cyber intrusions. Authorities warned that attacks on operational technology could disrupt essential services and cause significant economic losses.
National CERT has advised financial institutions and other organisations to strengthen surveillance of their networks, application programming interfaces (APIs) and customer-facing platforms.
Security teams have been urged to monitor suspicious login attempts, repeated authentication failures, credential-stuffing activities and unusual API traffic. They have also been advised to establish real-time alerts for unauthorised configuration changes and irregular transaction activity.
The advisory further stressed the importance of regularly verifying customer records and backend databases to identify possible tampering or unauthorised modifications.
Citing cyber incidents involving refrigeration and cooling systems at several supermarket chains in Europe, National CERT highlighted how digital intrusions could translate into physical and commercial damage.
Although AI involvement in those particular incidents has not been established through formal investigations, the cases underscore the potential consequences of attacks on operational systems.
To improve preparedness, the cybersecurity authority has called on public and private sector organisations to review their defences against automated and AI-assisted attacks. It also recommended independent transaction verification procedures, secure backup arrangements and stronger encryption of critical communication channels.
National CERT emphasised that continuous monitoring, timely security upgrades and information-sharing among different sectors are essential to protecting Pakistan’s financial systems and vital infrastructure from emerging cyber threats.
