Context:
India has become the top global target for hacktivist attacks, accounting for 13% of worldwide incidents in 2024, as per the High Tech Crime Trends Report – 2025 by Group-IB. It also ranks among the top three countries for data leaks, advanced persistent threats (APTs), and attacks by Initial Access Brokers (IABs).
Key Findings from the Report
A. Hacktivist Attacks
- India leads globally in hacktivist attacks (13%), followed by Israel (7%).
- In the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, India alone accounted for 49.3% of such attacks, with Indonesia trailing at 14%.
- Education institutions suffered the most, followed by government, military, and financial sectors.
- Key reasons for the surge:
- Regional geopolitical tensions with neighboring countries.
- India’s diplomatic stance on Palestine and Israel.
- Retaliatory cyberattacks from domestic and foreign hacktivist groups.
- Increased coordination of politically motivated cyber activities.
B. Data Leaks & Cybercrime
- India ranked third globally for public data leaks, behind the US and Russia.
- 60 data breaches in India contributed to 1,107 global instances of public data exposure.
- Most commonly exploited data:
- Email addresses
- Phone numbers
- Passwords
- 2024 Dark Web statistics:
- 248.9 crore unique email addresses leaked and sold.
C. Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)
- India leads APT attacks in APAC (10.3%), but globally, its share is only 2%.
- The US, Israel, Egypt, and GCC nations face a higher global share (3–6%).
- APTs are highly sophisticated cyberattacks, often state-sponsored, targeting governments and large enterprises.
D. Initial Access Brokers (IABs) Attacks
- India leads IAB attacks in APAC (20%), but globally, it ranks lower at 2.3%.
- The US (35.5%) dominates worldwide, followed by Brazil (6.3%) and several European nations.
- IABs gain access to corporate networks and sell this access on the Dark Web.
E. Compromised Hosts
- India ranked second globally for compromised hosts (106,312), behind Pakistan (108,674) in 2024.
The Growing Cybersecurity Threat
- Hacktivist attacks are undermining trust in India’s digital infrastructure.
- A lack of robust cybersecurity measures makes key sectors (education, government, finance, military) highly vulnerable.
- The rise of politically motivated cyber warfare highlights India’s need for stronger defensive strategies.
Strengthening Cyber Defenses
- Enhance Cybersecurity Infrastructure
- Implement AI-driven threat detection systems.
- Increase cyber awareness training for organizations.
- Strengthen Policy & Regulation
- Update cybercrime laws to address evolving threats.
- Increase international cooperation on cyber intelligence.
- Improve Enterprise Security Measures
- Mandate multi-factor authentication (MFA) and stronger encryption.
- Establish real-time threat monitoring systems.
- Public-Private Collaboration
- Encourage collaboration between government agencies and private firms to combat cyber threats.
India’s rising cyber vulnerabilities demand urgent action from policymakers, businesses, and cybersecurity experts. With hacktivism, data breaches, and cyber warfare increasing, strengthening national cyber resilience is critical to securing India’s digital future.
Source: BS
