The European Central Bank (ECB) tells eurozone banks to strengthen their cyber defences against AI-powered threats. Multiple outlets report that the ECB gives banks a short timeline—until the end of October— to explain how they will respond to increasingly capable AI systems that could be used to compromise banking operations. The ECB’s guidance focuses on preventing threats that could undermine confidence in the financial system and disrupt payment services. The communications also reflect broader regulatory concern that frontier AI models can be leveraged for more effective cyberattacks, including through faster, more adaptive techniques. While specific technical details are not consistent across the coverage, the shared message is that the ECB expects banks, particularly the largest lenders, to have concrete plans in place. The ECB’s requirement is framed as part of ongoing supervisory efforts to address emerging cyber risks. Overall, the reporting describes a regulatory deadline for preparedness planning, aimed at improving resilience to AI-enabled cyber threats across the eurozone banking sector.