Reflecting on Cyber Attacks & Cyber Security in India (Last 5 Years)

Cyber Attacks in India (2017-2023)

High-profile cyber-attacks, including ransomware incidents, highlighted the vulnerabilities in India’s digital infra. These incidents emphasized the need for improved cybersecurity measures.

To name a few of the cyberattacks happened during this time frame are:

In 2017, the top five cities in India (Kolkata, Delhi, Bhubaneswar, Pune, and Mumbai) got impacted due to the WannaCry Ransomware attack.
In 2018, a Cyberattack on Canara Bank ATM Approx. 20 lakh rupees were taken from several bank accounts. Cybercriminals used skimming devices to steal data.
UIDAI Aadhaar Software Hacked in 2018. It was a massive data breach of 1.1 Billion Indian Aadhaar cardholders. UIDAI stated that almost 210 Indian Government sites had leaked the Aadhaar data.
SIM Swap Scam in 2018 In this incident, 2 hackers from Navi Mumbai were arrested for transferring 4 crore rupees from numerous bank accounts. By obtaining SIM card information fraudulently, both attackers disabled individuals’ SIM cards and conducted online banking transactions using bogus documents.
Indian-based Healthcare websites were hacked by cybercriminals in 2019.
In 2019, India’s largest bank, the State Bank of India (SBI), left one of its servers unprotected and lead to data leak of its 422 million customers.
In 2020, approx. 82% of Indian companies suffered Ransomware attacks.
In 2021, India-based payment company, Juspay, suffered a data breach impacting 35 million customers.
In 2022, Air India experienced a major cyberattack that compromised approximately 4.5 million customer records.
In 2022, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) suffered a Cyberattack that paralyzed their servers. Their servers were made unavailable for almost 15 days.
In 2023, Multi-National Industrial Giant ABB got hit by Black Basta Ransomware.

Cyber Security in India

Looking Back to 2017-2019

Increased Awareness:

Cybersecurity gained prominence in India, with growing awareness among businesses, government agencies, and the general public about the importance of securing digital assets.

Regulatory Initiatives:

The Indian government took steps to strengthen Cybersecurity regulations. RBI introduced guidelines for banks. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) drafted the Personal Data Protection Bill.

Throwback to 2020-2021

Pandemic Challenges:

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced and increased remote workforce culture a great deal. It expanded the attack surface for cybercriminals. There was a rise in phishing attacks exploiting pandemic-related themes.

National Cyber Security Strategy:

India continued to work on its National Cyber Security Strategy. The aim to enhance its capabilities in combating cyber threats & protecting critical infra.

Digital India Initiatives:

The Digital India campaign continued, promoting the usage of technology and digital platforms. But, this also increased the importance of securing digital services and information.

Developments in 2022-2023

Advancements in Technology:

Adoption of emerging technologies such as AI, Blockchain, and IoT. These paved the way for new cybersecurity challenges and opportunities.

Collaboration and Partnerships:

Increased collaboration between the government, private sector, and international organizations to strengthen cybersecurity capabilities and share threat intelligence.

Focus on Cybersecurity Skills Development:

Recognizing the shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals. There was an emphasis on education and training programs to build a robust workforce.

Implementation of Data Protection Laws:

The implementation of the Personal Data Protection Bill or similar legislation aimed to regulate the handling of personal data and enhance privacy protections.

Critical Infra Protection

Continued efforts to secure critical infra sectors, such as energy, transportation, and finance, against cyber threats.

Wrap Up

Cybersecurity market revenue growth is exponentially high in the upcoming years. As per Statista Market Insights, revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2028) of 13.57%. Thus, by 2028, resulting in a market volume of US$4.78bn.

Cybersecurity is every employee/individual’s responsibility. Enforcing cybersecurity measures and having a security strategy in place is a good place to start. Cybersecurity must be taken very seriously by organizations & also a priority.

Secure Network Solutions (SNS) is a Trusted Security Partner for 23 years. We are solely focused on Security solutions.

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Swathi
Author

Working IT professional and a Cyber Security enthusiast. Passionate to write about Cyber Security topics and Solutions. I share my insights as I study articles and trending topics in the field of Cyber Security.