WASHINGTON– The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency warned in a new report that banks face mounting cybersecurity risks from increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence tools, even as those same technologies may help financial institutions strengthen defenses against cyber threats.
In its Semiannual Risk Perspective for Spring 2026, the OCC said “increasingly advanced” AI tools entering the market present both risks and opportunities for banks and “can be important for cyber risk management.”
“AI is significantly transforming the cyber threat landscape, while also providing new capabilities to manage cyber-related risks,” the OCC said in the report. “AI lowers the barrier to entry for threat actors and increases the speed, scale, and sophistication of cyber-attacks targeting financial institutions and their customers.”
The AI Threats
According to the OCC, AI can be used to facilitate and enable a range of illicit activities, including automated reconnaissance, rapid vulnerability discovery and exploitation, targeted social engineering campaigns, and adaptive malware capable of evading traditional security defenses.
“The implementation of more stringent security measures, such as multifactor authentication and timely patch management, help mitigate AI-enabled cyber risks for banks,” the report states. “AI can also be deployed to defend against threats and to support risk management and heightened threat and vulnerability monitoring processes.”
The OCC added that banks need “a sound understanding of the potential benefits and possible risks associated with these advanced tools” as AI-powered cybersecurity technologies continue to evolve.
Other Risks Highlighted
The report also highlighted several other risks facing banks, including:
- Cyber threats and fraud, which the OCC said remain a concern as cybercriminal groups targeting the financial sector become increasingly sophisticated and foreign state-sponsored actors continue to pose threats. “Banks continue to face challenges from both the elevated levels and rising sophistication of fraud and scams,” the report states.
- Credit conditions and refinancing risk in certain segments of commercial real estate lending and private credit markets, which the OCC said warrant ongoing monitoring.
- Modest increases in past-due loans in some consumer portfolios. However, the agency said OCC-supervised banks maintain manageable exposures to borrowers with weaker credit profiles.
- Geopolitical tensions, which the OCC said are increasing sanctions and money laundering risks, straining bank compliance systems and potentially raising the risk of sanctions and Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering violations.
