State Bank of India (SBI), the nation’s largest bank, has inaugurated CyRIS, a Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence that brings cyber policy, cyber academy, innovation, research, threat intelligence and cyber defence capabilities together under one strategic platform. The initiative marks a significant step in strengthening cybersecurity and digital resilience in the financial sector, with a focus on anticipating emerging threats and building a safer digital financial ecosystem.
The Centre was inaugurated by Sanjay Lohiya, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, in the presence of Shri Challa Sreenivasulu Setty, Chairman, SBI, along with senior government and bank officials.
CyRIS strengthens SBI’s focus on anticipatory, intelligence-led cyber resilience, enabling the Bank to better anticipate emerging threats, respond faster and stay ahead of the evolving cyber landscape. Built around three complementary pillars, THINK, INNOVATE, and DEFEND, the Centre brings together efforts to strengthen cyber policy, develop talent and awareness, drive innovation and research, and enhance cyber defence and threat intelligence.
THINK – Shape the Cyber Future: Cyber Policy, Cyber Academy and Citizen-Centric Initiatives to strengthen policy, talent and cyber awareness.
INNOVATE – Create What’s Next: Innovation, Research and Benchmarking to develop new solutions and measure cyber maturity against evolving global practices.
DEFEND – Protect What Matters: Cyber Defence, Threat Intelligence and Cyber Resilience to detect threats early, respond faster and strengthen preparedness.
The Centre will focus on emerging digital safety and capability areas including threat intelligence, cyber defence, digital forensics, malware analysis, ethical hacking, fraud analytics, AI security and quantum-safe technologies. CyRIS will also foster collaboration with government and regulatory bodies, financial institutions, fintechs, academia and technology partners, recognising that cyber threats increasingly cross organisational boundaries.
Speaking on the occasion, Challa Sreenivasulu Setty, Chairman, SBI, said: “Cybersecurity is fundamental to customer trust and the resilience of our digital financial ecosystem. CyRIS will strengthen our ability to anticipate emerging threats and stay ahead of the evolving cyber landscape.”
Sanjay Lohiya, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, said: “As India’s financial ecosystem becomes increasingly digital, cyber resilience must grow alongside innovation. CyRIS is a timely initiative to strengthen capabilities, collaboration, and preparedness across the ecosystem.”
State Bank of India continues to strengthen its cybersecurity framework through multi-layered security controls, regular audits, vulnerability assessments and robust incident-response mechanisms. The Bank is enhancing threat detection and response capabilities while conducting cyber drills and employee training. During FY 2025-26, nearly 1.81 lakh Bank employees completed mandatory cybersecurity e-learning, complemented by customer awareness initiatives on digital safety and fraud prevention.
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