Indian Finance Minister Warns Banks of AI-Driven Cyber Threats
India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman convened a meeting with bank leaders to alert them to cybersecurity threats from Anthropic's Claude Mythos AI model and directed financial institutions to strengthen defences and establish coordinated threat-response mechanisms.
What happened
On 23-24 April 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held a high-level meeting with heads of banks and key financial sector stakeholders to discuss cybersecurity risks associated with Anthropic's Claude Mythos AI model.
Sitharaman described the threat from Mythos as unprecedented and requiring high vigilance and preparedness. She directed banks to strengthen cyber defences, promptly report suspicious activity to CERT-In, engage specialist cybersecurity agencies, and establish a coordinated institutional mechanism for threat response.
Reported impact
The meeting addressed potential risks to the financial sector from the AI model, described as posing an unprecedented threat that requires coordinated action across financial institutions.
Index analysis
Claude Mythos is Anthropic's most advanced AI model, claimed to have identified thousands of cybersecurity flaws missed by humans, including 27-year-old vulnerabilities in major operating systems and web browsers. Anthropic has restricted access to approximately 40 authorized companies, but reports indicate unauthorized users gained access to the model.
Governance controls
The Finance Minister advised the Indian Banks' Association to develop a coordinated mechanism to respond to emerging threats. Banks were directed to implement pre-emptive security measures, strengthen defensive and monitoring capabilities, and maintain real-time threat intelligence sharing with CERT-In and other agencies.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.