India Among Asia-Pacific’s Top Three Ransomware Targets in Early 2025
India has emerged as one of the leading ransomware targets in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region during the first half of 2025, a recent report reveals, highlighting growing cybersecurity challenges amid rising digital threats.
Ransomware Incidents Climb in India
According to cybersecurity firm Cyble’s latest findings, India recorded 21 ransomware attacks in H1 2025, positioning it third in the APAC region after Taiwan and Singapore. The attacks predominantly affected sectors crucial to the Indian economy, including Information Technology (IT), Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI), and manufacturing industries.
Broader Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities Exposed
While ransomware itself poses significant risks, industry experts caution that deeper systemic vulnerabilities within organizations complicate the cybersecurity landscape. A recent IBM report pegged the average cost of a data breach in India at â‚ą22 crore in 2025, up 13% from â‚ą19.5 crore in 2024. Encouragingly, companies using artificial intelligence (AI) and security automation tools were able to reduce breach costs by more than half, yet 73% of firms reported limited or no adoption of such technologies.
Shadow AI: A Hidden Threat Amplifying Breach Risks
One emerging concern highlighted in the IBM research is the rise of “Shadow AI” — the use of AI tools by employees without IT or compliance oversight. Shadow AI was identified as a major cost driver in Indian data breaches, adding an average of ₹1.8 crore per incident. Despite these risks, fewer than half of the surveyed organizations had any policies in place to manage or detect unregulated AI use.
Governance and Policy Gaps
Governance policies around AI remain underdeveloped in many Indian enterprises. Nearly 60% of organizations either lack an AI governance framework or are still in the process of drafting one. Even among those with policies, implementation of enforcement technologies is limited; only about one-third have deployed tools to enforce rules effectively.
Limited Cybersecurity Visibility Hampers Defence
Beyond AI-related challenges, Indian companies also struggle to gain comprehensive visibility over their cybersecurity exposures — including misconfigurations, unpatched software, unprotected custom applications, and human errors. A report by cybersecurity company Infopercept found that 84% of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) admitted to lacking full insight into their organizations’ vulnerabilities.
Purvang Raval, AVP of product marketing at Infopercept, emphasized the broader disconnect between cybersecurity operations and the business context. “You may have thousands of vulnerabilities in your environment, but only a small fraction truly present significant business risks. The real problem is the lack of business-aware cybersecurity decision-making,” he explained.
Organizational Blind Spots and Employee Awareness
Raval also pointed to the absence of a unified approach to AI security, noting two distinct concerns: securing AI technologies themselves and securing organizational data against AI-driven threats. Moreover, employee awareness—especially among Gen Z workers—was flagged as a critical area needing substantial improvement beyond basic training programs. Educating staff on AI risks and digital accountability is essential to closing these gaps.
Call to Action for Indian Businesses
The surge in ransomware attacks and growing cybersecurity vulnerabilities underline the urgent need for Indian organizations to strengthen their digital defenses. Leveraging AI-powered security automation, establishing robust AI governance policies, enhancing visibility into cyber exposures, and fostering comprehensive employee awareness are key steps to mitigate escalating threats.
As ransomware and other advanced cyberattacks continue to evolve, integrating cybersecurity strategy closely with business risk management will be crucial to protecting India’s critical sectors and ensuring resilient growth in the increasingly digital economy.
This article is based on industry reports from IBM, Cyble, and Infopercept, and highlights emerging cybersecurity trends in India during the first half of 2025.