A commentary published in the Financial Times (FT) warned that the hacking of crypto assets has exposed significant cybersecurity risks to the financial system in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). The article points out that AI is significantly increasing the efficiency with which hackers discover vulnerabilities, penetrate systems, and launch attacks, while financial institutions' defenses still rely on manual repairs and emergency responses, potentially lagging behind attackers. Individual institutions also cannot independently bear the full cost of defense against organized attacks. As crypto assets become increasingly intertwined with traditional banks, payments, and financial markets, large-scale cyberattacks could trigger transaction disruptions, liquidity crises, and systemic trust shocks.
To prevent hacking attacks that steal billions of dollars and undermine financial confidence, the public and private sectors must work closely together to enhance system resilience, develop contingency plans for various potential adverse scenarios, incorporate AI cyberattacks into financial stability stress tests, and implement stricter security regulations for the crypto industry.
