AI tools dramatically lower barriers to launching cyberattacks: Mastercard

The democratisation of attack tools through artificial intelligence is creating new vulnerabilities for organisations across India, with the cost of launching sophisticated cyberattacks now accessible to less sophisticated threat actors. Mastercard's analysis shows that AI-powered agents are lowering technical barriers and reducing expenses previously associated with launching cyber operations.

Indian businesses in the technology, financial services and public sectors are reporting the highest attack frequencies, collectively accounting for nearly half of all cyberattacks recorded domestically. The concentration of threats in these sectors reflects their critical role in the economy and the sensitive data they maintain.

Organisations across India are responding by strengthening their governance frameworks and security protocols to counter evolving threats. Security experts emphasise the need for enhanced monitoring, staff training and incident response capabilities as artificial intelligence amplifies both the speed and scale of potential attacks.

The findings underscore an urgent need for Indian enterprises and government agencies to reassess their cybersecurity posture. Industry observers note that as attack tools become cheaper and easier to deploy, the focus must shift toward building resilience and developing proactive defence mechanisms that can detect and neutralise threats in real time.