Kaspersky reveals that almost one in every three (28.8%) of Internet users in India were targeted by web-borne threats in 2024. Between the period of January to December last year, Kaspersky products detected 44,372,823 Internet-borne cyberthreats on the computers of users in India. This information was shared by the company based on the data obtained and processed by Kaspersky Security Network (KSN).
KSN is a complex distributed infrastructure dedicated to processing cybersecurity-related data streams from millions of voluntary participants around the world. KSN data is collected from Kaspersky customers here who have installed the company’s cybersecurity software on their computers and voluntarily shared information with the firm. KSN uses a combination of expert analysis, Big Data and Machine Learning to deliver comprehensive information on cyberthreat landscape in a region.
The cyberthreat landscape in India has shown a gradual improvement in 2024 compared to 2023. There has been a 5% drop in the number of web-borne threat incidents in 2024 vis-à-vis 2023. In 2023, 33.6% of users were attacked by web-borne threats between January and December, while Kaspersky products had detected 62,574,546 different Internet-borne cyberthreats in the same period.
While the number of cyberthreat detected might have decreased, the threat landscape continues to evolve. Kaspersky report also shows that attacks via browsers remain the main way of spreading malicious programs. File-less malware continues to be the most dangerous type of cyberthreat, since its malicious code is difficult to detect and fight. Social engineering attacks like phishing, ransomware and AI-driven threats were quite prominent in 2024 as well.
The improvement in the cyberthreat scenario in India as shown by the KSN data points towards an increased awareness of cyberthreat and the implementation of robust cybersecurity measures by organisations and individuals. In the global ranking, India has gone from 72nd in 2023 to 76th in 2024.
“The decrease in threat incidents does not mean one should get complacent about cybersecurity. With AI tools being used to generate malware or unleash phishing attacks, companies and users need to be vigilant about cybersecurity. Cybercriminals are now working in a “quantity over quality” scheme, lesser but more targeted attacks,” says Jaydeep Singh, General Manager for India Region, Kaspersky.
“Throughout 2024, Kaspersky has been very active in creating awareness about cyber safety by partnering with various agencies and educational institutions in India. We developed campaigns to promote cybersecurity solutions to individual users and introduced Kaspersky Next solutions for businesses in India. In 2025, we see that more AI-assisted attacks will happen as well as disruptions to critical infrastructure. To combat these threats, our solutions and security experts continue to pre-empt threats and counter attacks to help users adopt cyber immune strategies,” he adds.