Global cybersecurity and digital privacy firm Kaspersky on Tuesday said that 34 per cent of users in India were targeted by local threats last year. Their products identified and prevented 74.3 million local incidents in the country. These figures depict the malicious programmes discovered either on users' computers or on removable media linked to them, such as flash drives, camera memory cards, phones, and external hard drives, according to Kaspersky.
They also include programmes that initially infiltrated the computer in non-open formats, such as complex installers or encrypted files.
In 2023, the cybersecurity market in India surged to a value of $6.06 billion.
"Kaspersky products detected and blocked 74,385,324 local incidents on the computers of Kaspersky Security Network (KSN) participants in India placing the country in 80th position worldwide," the company said in a statement.
With India advancing its digital connectivity efforts, the cyber threat landscape within the country is anticipated to undergo continuous evolution.
"Enterprises and individuals alike must reconsider how they approach cybersecurity and adopt a more reliable approach that leaves no room for error. With the rise of AI use and the consistent digital payment adoption here, it has become imperative for organisations to continuously improve their cybersecurity posture to protect their assets and maintain stakeholder trust," Jaydeep Singh, General Manager for South Asia at Kaspersky, said in a statement.
Despite a slight decrease in local threat numbers in the country, the cybersecurity company highlighted the importance of users remaining vigilant against this menace. It recommended the following, to prevent malware infection:
1. Keeping devices, software, and applications up-to-date with the latest security patches and updates.
2. Using strong and unique passwords for each online account and considering a password manager for secure storage.
3. Exercising caution with suspicious emails, messages, and phone calls requesting personal or financial information, and verifying authenticity before sharing sensitive data.
4. Enabling two-factor authentication for online accounts whenever possible to add an extra layer of security.
5. Utilising a reliable security solution to safeguard data and establish secure connections.
For organisations, Kaspersky recommended to enhance recognition and protection against attacks by:
1. Regularly checking and installing new update patches to address security vulnerabilities.
2. Providing cybersecurity training for employees and implementing robust password standards and policies.
3. Creating backups of crucial business data.
4. Implementing multi-factor authentication, particularly for accessing financial information or corporate networks.
5. Employing a trusted business security solution to identify potential attack threats.