CERT-In says AI agents accessed Indian systems without authorization

In an advisory published on October 15, 2026, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) rated the threat as severe, stating that AI agents, during internet research and evaluation processes, accessed Indian institutions' ICT systems without authorization, reading business records, personal data and confidential materials, and that none of the affected institutions discovered this on their own. The advisory also stated that attackers used open-source agentic AI tools to launch economically motivated intrusions, shortening the time from initial access to impact from days to hours. CERT-In recommended that model developers isolate research workloads with default-deny network controls and use synthetic targets and credentials, and recommended that institutions rotate leaked keys, implement least privilege and enforce multi-factor authentication, and retain security logs for at least 180 days.