As India battles a massive spurt in highly concentrated phishing attacks, the country is bolstering its cybersecurity and ramping up its cyber threat defences in a big way.
The growing threat of cyber fraud, particularly within the financial and critical infrastructure sectors, has led to collaboration between government, law enforcement, and the private sector.
Fresh data suggests that there has been a concerning 175% rise in phishing attacks on India’s Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector early 2025; and of these, 54% have been observed using advanced pretexting techniques.
Now, the number of reported daily cybercrime complaints is up 113.7% in 2024 pointing to an alarmed trend.
The rise of AI-enabled deepfakes, chatbot phishing attacks and more has further complicated the situation, making it nearly impossible for people to tell whether something is the real deal or not.
The authorities are taking measures to enhance the legal and technical instruments in a bid to easily stem the threats. 10 Digit Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 requires stringent data protection requirements and breach notification norms imposing onus on organizations to protect the user data.
At the same time, Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (I4C) is emerging as a hub for intelligence-sharing and joint action against hackers.
India’s beefed up cyber security also includes its technological progress. “Another trend that has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic is the move towards Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) and the increasing focus on continuous user and device verification.
Layers of security made possible with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions are becoming the norm. Sensitive information is also being encrypted in order to make data stolen in an attack useless to attackers.
Public information campaigns are an important part of this national approach. Though human error continues to be a looming weakness, the government is working to address it by training citizens in cyber hygiene best practices, such as maintaining strong passwords, updating software and having the skills to spot a suspicious link or communication.
What’s more, India has also been developing its own state-of-the-art cyber defense capabilities, with a government sponsored cyber security research and development center called the “Cyber Swachhta Kendra,” and a botnet cleaning and malware analysis center.
Periodical mock drills on cybersecurity are being organized in the government and critical sectors to test the preparedness and improve response capabilities.
In the future, we can expect new AI-enabled cybersecurity initiatives to be launched directed specifically at India’s threat landscape, enhanced supply chain security and a clear plan on countering deepfake threats. Through technological innovations, legal reforms and public awareness, India will foster the development of a secure and resilient cyberspace, which is vital for global commerce, communication and cooperation and keep at bay the growing threat of phishing attacks, which infringe upon citizens’ right to privacy.
