A new cybersecurity report has revealed that India has overtaken other nations as the most-targeted country for malware attacks, with artificial intelligence (AI)-driven phishing and ransomware fueling a dramatic surge. The findings highlight vulnerabilities in India’s rapidly growing digital economy and the urgent need for enterprises to adopt adaptive, AI-aware cybersecurity strategies.
AI Fuels Rise in Ransomware and Phishing
According to the biannual report by the 12.4 percent of monitored endpoints in India were affected by malware during the first half of 2025—the highest globally. The report draws on signals from over one million unique endpoints worldwide, with a particular focus on Windows systems, which dominate India’s digital ecosystem.
The study underscores the growing sophistication of cybercriminals who increasingly deploy AI to automate phishing, impersonation, and ransomware campaigns. Ransomware remains the most severe threat to Indian enterprises, particularly small and medium-sized businesses, while phishing attacks accounted for 25 percent of incidents. Managed service providers (MSPs) bore the brunt of these attacks, with 52 percent of incidents directed at them a 22 percent spike compared to the same period last year.
Experts have warned that the country’s rapidly expanding digital economy has broadened its attack surface.
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Collaboration Platforms Under Siege
The report points to a dramatic surge in phishing campaigns targeting collaboration applications widely used in Indian enterprises. Incidents on platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Slack rose from 9 percent to 30.5 percent in the first half of 2025.
Meanwhile, advanced email-based attacks including payload-less and spoofed threats jumped sharply from 9 percent to 24.5 percent. These figures underline how attackers are evolving to bypass traditional filters and exploit the growing reliance on digital communication tools in hybrid workplaces.
Call for Multi-Layered Defense
Researchers have urged Indian enterprises, particularly in infrastructure and manufacturing, to overhaul their cybersecurity posture. The recommendations include behavior-based threat detection, comprehensive email and cloud security strategies, frequent audits of third-party applications, and continuous employee training in social engineering and phishing awareness.
It is emphasized that AI itself can serve as a powerful tool for defense if properly deployed, enabling faster detection of anomalies, reducing false alarms, and strengthening response times.