India has become the leading global target for hacktivists and advanced persistent threat (APT) groups, according to a report by cybersecurity firm Group-IB.
In 2024, India accounted for 12.8% of all hacktivist attacks worldwide, the highest of any country. Nearly half of the cyberattacks in the Asia-Pacific region (49.3%) targeted India, and more than 10% of APT attacks were focused on the nation.
Dmitry Volkov, CEO of Group-IB, noted that politically motivated cyber actors have used distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, website defacements, and data leaks to target entities associated with geopolitical adversaries. India’s diplomatic positions on international conflicts have made it a primary target.
As India’s economy and influence grow, cyberattacks on its citizens have surged. Cyber fraud has increased by 51%, with many attacks coming from neighboring countries. Hacktivists have targeted India more than any other nation, followed by Israel.
Application attacks rose by 20%, with vulnerability and bad-bot attacks increasing sharply. The financial and utilities sectors have been the primary targets.
Venkatesh Sundar from Indusface emphasized the need for businesses to regularly assess security risks, remove outdated systems, and use virtual patching when necessary. He also recommended leveraging artificial intelligence to proactively block attacks.
Looking ahead, Group-IB predicts that cyberattacks will increase in 2025 as geopolitical tensions rise, with state-sponsored cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure and private sectors. India’s growing ties with Israel have further fueled hacktivist attacks, particularly from pro-Palestinian groups.
To combat the threat, India’s private sector and government have introduced new cybersecurity guidelines for industries like finance and insurance.
