Positive Technologies, a global leader in cybersecurity, has revealed that 80% of cyberattacks in India target organizations, with 36% focused on the public sector and 13% on the industrial sector. The findings were presented at the Positive Hack Talks meetup in Bengaluru and highlight a growing threat to India’s critical infrastructure amid rapid digitalization.
India’s cyberattack rate increased by 15% in 2023 compared to the previous year, with a sharp rise of 46% in Q2 2024 over the same period last year, surpassing the global growth rate of 30%. Cybercriminals mainly aim to steal sensitive information, with 70% of organizational attacks resulting in data theft. The stolen data includes personal information (40%) and trade secrets (20%).
Government and industrial sectors remain prime targets, with malware and social engineering identified as the most common attack methods. Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups were responsible for over half of the attacks on government organizations. In manufacturing, social engineering (40%) and malware (30%) were frequently used. Overall, 45% of attacks targeted individuals, while 36% focused on computers, servers, and network equipment.
Darya Lavrova, an analyst at Positive Technologies, noted a growing trend in attacks on service, IT, and healthcare sectors, each representing 9% of incidents. In the IT sector, cybercriminals frequently compromised accounts instead of relying on social engineering, using the hijacked infrastructure for further attacks. Small and medium-sized IT companies, particularly those with limited cybersecurity budgets, were common targets, with 43% of attacks aimed at cloud solutions.
Malware continues to pose a significant threat in India, with its use in incidents rising by 11% in 2024. Ransomware attacks increased by 22%, while spyware was the most common malware type, involved in 38% of cases. Phishing emails remain a prevalent method for spreading malware, accounting for 64% of incidents.
To counter these threats, Positive Technologies advises organizations to adopt a result-driven approach to cybersecurity. This includes hands-on training programs and experience-sharing across borders. In 2024, the company launched Positive Hack Camp, an international training initiative supported by the Russian Ministry of Digital Development. The program aims to equip professionals with practical cybersecurity skills and will be held annually.
Positive Technologies is a global leader in cybersecurity, providing protection for over 4,000 organizations worldwide. It is the first Russian cybersecurity company to go public on the Moscow Exchange (MOEX: POSI).
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