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Journalism of Courage
Web-borne cyber threats affected millions of Indians in 2024. Kaspersky, the global cybersecurity and digital privacy company, in its latest report has revealed that one in every three internet users in India were targeted by web-borne threats last year. Between January and December 2024, the company detected 4,43,72, 823 Internet-borne cyberthreats on computers of users in India.
According to the report, attacks via web browsers continue to be the main way of spreading malicious programmes. The report has categorised file-less malware as the most dangerous type of cyber threat, considering the difficulty to detect and fight them. Phishing, ransomware, and AI-driven threats were prominent 2024 too.
The information in the report is based on the data obtained and analysed 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.
According to the company, the cyber threat landscape in India has gradually improved compared to 2024. Reportedly, there has been a 5 per cent drop in the number of web-borne threat incidents in 2024 compared to 2023, when Kaspersky products had detected 6,25,74, 546 internet-borne cyber threats.
While the number of cyber threats detected might have decreased, the threat landscape continues to evolve. According to KSN data, the improvement in the cyber threat scenario in India is due to increased awareness.
“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,” said Jaydeep Singh, general manager for India Region, Kaspersky.
Singh added that cybercriminals are now working in a ‘quantity over quality’ scheme, essentially lesser but more targeted attacks. The report went on to recommend some measures to safeguard oneself against cyber threats. Below are some recommendations:
📌Do not download and install applications from untrusted sources.
📌Do not click on any links from unknown sources or suspicious online advertisements.
📌Always use two-factor authentication when available.
📌Create strong passwords, using a mix of lower-case and upper-case letters, numbers, and punctuation.
📌Use a reliable password manager to help to remember them.
📌Always install updates when they become available; they contain fixes for critical security issues.
📌Ignore messages asking to disable security systems for office or cybersecurity software.
📌Use a robust security solution appropriate to your system type and devices.
