India experienced 593 cases of cyberattacks during the first half of the year, with education, government and technology sectors emerging as primary targets, according to India Breach Report by FalconFeeds, a product of the Kerala-based cybersecurity firm Technisanct.
They included 388 data breaches, 107 data leaks, 39 ransomware group activities, and 59 cases of access sales or leaks. Healthcare, banking, manufacturing and consumer services sectors also witnessed severe cyberattacks.
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“This evolving cyber threat landscape in the nation, particularly within critical sectors like government and education, is a stark reminder that it is high time we created a protocol to address the issue. No sector is immune,” said Nandakishore Harikumar, chief executive officer, Technisanct.
“According to digital frontier expands, safeguarding data and information will be paramount, and proactive measures must be prioritised to protect our nation’s digital assets,” he added.
A disturbing correlation between cyberattacks and periods of increased national activity was observed, with a surge in incidents coinciding with the Lok Sabha elections from April 19 to June 1, 2024. From March to April, there was a marked increase in cyber incidents, peaking in May, followed by a slight decrease in June and a more notable drop in July.
This highlights the opportunistic behaviour of threat actors who exploit such periods. Government and public sector entities were disproportionately affected, with New Delhi and the Central government bearing the brunt of attacks.
Breach Forum and Telegram were identified as hotspots for data breaches and scams, while the ransomware group LOCKBIT 3.0 posed a significant threat. The report also emphasised the imperative for robust cybersecurity measures to protect critical infrastructure and sensitive data.
The report called for regular security audits, employee training, data encryption, and robust incident response plans as potential safeguards to keep marauding cybercriminals at bay.
