India’s Cybercrime Crisis: A Growing Threat to Citizens and Businesses

India continues to experience a surge in cybercrime, affecting both citizens and businesses. Cyber fraud against citizens has increased by 51% over the past year, while cyberattacks on businesses are occurring at volumes significantly higher than global averages.

Record-Breaking Number of Cybercrime Complaints

According to the latest data from India’s National Cyber Reporting Platform (NCRP), Indian citizens filed over 1.7 million cybercrime complaints in 2024, up from 1.1 million complaints in 2023. While many of these scams originated from domestic sources, about 45% came from cybercriminal havens in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos.

Cybercrime: The Dark Side of Digitalization

President Droupadi Murmu emphasized the importance of cybersecurity in an increasingly digital society, stating, "Cybersecurity has become a crucial issue of national importance." She highlighted the risks posed by digital fraud, cybercrime, and emerging technologies like deepfakes, which threaten social, economic, and national security.

Businesses Facing Unique Threats

Indian businesses are not immune to cyberattacks. The average website in India receives about 6.9 million unwanted requests every year, with 26% more attacks per site compared to the global average. Denial-of-service attacks are also more common against Indian targets. The threat actors have shifted towards disrupting mobile and connected services, targeting external-facing APIs associated with mobile apps.

Government Efforts to Combat Cybercrime

The government is taking steps to combat cybercrime. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has created exclusive Internet domains for banks (bank.in) and non-bank financial institutions (fin.in), which will be run by the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT). India has also passed its first privacy and data-protection law and drafted implementation rules to define the rights of Indian citizens and requirements for companies handling data.

International Cooperation

India and the US have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate on intelligence gathering, the exchange of information on cybercrime cases, and collaborative training. India has also worked to rescue and repatriate its citizens from forced labor camps for criminal syndicates in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos.

Cybersecurity Shortage

Despite efforts to combat cybercrime, India still faces a shortage of cybersecurity professionals. The government has announced an effort to train 5,000 "cyber commandos" over the next five years to help national and state governments with cyber investigations.

Training Citizens in Cybersecurity

Training citizens in cybersecurity can have additional benefits, President Murmu said. The government has taken numerous measures to control cyber threats, creating opportunities for employment in the field of cybersecurity for the youth, and continuously working to ensure competence in cybersecurity. India has also reached Tier 1 status in the International Telecommunication Union’s Global Cybersecurity Index.

Conclusion

India’s cybercrime crisis is a growing threat to citizens and businesses. The government, businesses, and citizens must work together to combat cybercrime and ensure the security of India’s digital ecosystem.