Cybersecurity in FinTech Payments and E-commerce: AI-Driven Threats, Zero Trust, and Emerging Security Trends

Abstract

Abstract The rapid growth of digital finance—including FinTech platforms, online payment gateways, and e-commerce marketplaces—has revolutionized global financial systems while significantly expanding the cyber-attack surface. Sophisticated attacks such as AI-generated deepfakes, automated malware, ransomware, and synthetic identity fraud now threaten financial transactions. In response, cybersecurity strategies are evolving toward decentralized models, AI-enabled detection systems, Zero Trust architectures, and quantum-safe cryptography. This paper synthesizes recent academic research and industry developments (2025–2026), covering threat taxonomies, defensive strategies, emerging attack vectors, and regulatory enhancements in payment authentication. The integration of these trends underscores the necessity of robust, AI-driven, and compliance-aware security architectures for securing modern financial ecosystems.