In a concerning revelation for the global cybersecurity landscape, India ranked as the second most targeted country for data theft in 2024, with 95 companies falling victim to cyberattacks, according to CloudSEK’s Threat Landscape Report 2024. The report, which monitored dark web activities, underscores the growing risks posed by rapid digitization.
The United States led the list as the most attacked nation, with 140 breaches attributed to its economic clout and advanced digital infrastructure. Israel ranked third, with 57 organizations compromised, driven largely by geopolitical tensions. “India: Rapid digitization exposed 95 entities, making it the second most attacked nation,” the report noted.
The finance and banking sector bore the brunt of the attacks in India, accounting for 20 incidents. The government sector followed with 13, telecommunications with 12, and healthcare, pharma, and education sectors with 10 and 9 breaches, respectively. Notable breaches included 2 terabytes of data stolen from Telecommunications Consultants India, the leakage of 850 million records of Indian citizen data from Hi-Tek Group, and customer information from Star Health and Allied Insurance. In addition, the report identified 108 ransomware attacks across the nation, with Lockbit emerging as the most active ransomware group, responsible for over 20 incidents. Killsec and Ransomhub followed, with 15 and 12 attacks, respectively.
CloudSEK emphasized the urgent need for Indian organizations to fortify their defenses against evolving cyber threats. The report recommended a multi-pronged strategy, including fixing vulnerabilities to prevent exploitation, deploying AI-powered threat detection solutions, and implementing multi-factor authentication and privileged access controls. Network segmentation and a well-defined incident response strategy were also highlighted as critical measures to minimize downtime during attacks. Furthermore, the report encouraged collaboration between private and public sectors to share intelligence and raise cybersecurity awareness among teams.
As India continues its journey toward a digitally empowered economy, the findings serve as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities that accompany technological progress. Strengthening cybersecurity infrastructure and fostering a culture of vigilance will be essential to protecting the nation’s digital assets in the years to come.
