Banks have tightened their cyber security network to ward off any cyber threat in the wake of India launching missile attacks on Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Banks have also improved their security at the branches near border areas due to heightened threat of a counter attack.
“We have strengthened the cyber security mechanism… we have created a 24 hours war room to diffuse any cyber attack… we are prepared for any eventuality,” Punjab National Bank MD and CEO Ashok Chandra said.
The bank has also beefed up security at the branches in the border areas, he said, adding that the bank has also made arrangements for safety and security of their staff.
According to a senior official of another public sector bank, the bank has put in place an anti-cyber attack mechanism in place to withstand any possibility of cyber attack. ATMs have been flushed with funds in the border areas so that customers there don’t face any crunch, the official added.
In retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack, Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes early on Wednesday on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba’s base Muridke.
The military strikes were carried out under ‘Operation Sindoor‘ two weeks after the terrorists killed 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
Meanwhile, leading stock exchanges BSE and NSE have taken precautionary measures by blocking their websites for international users. “BSE, being a critical market infrastructure institution (MII), proactively and continuously monitors risks at domestic and international levels for potential cyber threats,” a BSE spokesperson said, explaining the rationale behind the decision.