India logs 265 million cyberattack attempts, 369 million malware hits: Report
Synopsis
A new Lisianthus Tech report reveals India absorbed more than 265 million cyberattack attempts and 369 million malware hits in a single assessment period — with Operation Sindoor alone generating 1.5 million attack attempts and roughly 150 confirmed system compromises. As CERT-In incidents crossed 29 lakh in 2025, the report makes the case that cybersecurity has become a national security imperative, not just an IT problem.
Key Takeaways
India recorded more than 265 million cyberattack attempts and 369 million malware detections during the assessment period, per the Lisianthus Tech report released on 2 August .
CERT-In logged over 29.44 lakh cybersecurity incidents in 2025 .
During Operation Sindoor , nearly 1.5 million cyberattack attempts were recorded, with approximately 150 resulting in confirmed system compromises.
India's power sector alone faced nearly 200,000 attempted cyber intrusions during the period.
Lisianthus Tech founder Khushhal Kaushik called cybersecurity a 'national security imperative,' launching the Cyber Shikshit Bharat initiative to build public cyber awareness.
India recorded more than 265 million cyberattack attempts and 369 million malware detections during the assessment period, according to a new report released on Sunday, 2 August by Indian cybersecurity firm Lisianthus Tech. The report, titled Cyber Shikshit Bharat: Building a Cyber-Resilient India, warns that the country's accelerating digital transformation is outpacing its cyber defences, exposing businesses, citizens, critical infrastructure, and government systems to escalating threats.
Scale of the Threat
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) logged more than 29.44 lakh cybersecurity incidents in 2025 alone, according to the report. These figures underscore a threat environment that has grown sharply in both volume and sophistication over recent years.
The power sector was among the hardest hit, recording nearly 200,000 attempted cyber intrusions. Telecom networks, government systems, and other strategically sensitive sectors also faced sustained attacks throughout the period under review.
Operation Sindoor: A Cyber Battleground
A significant portion of the report examines Operation Sindoor, during which nearly 1.5 million cyberattack attempts were observed. These included distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, phishing campaigns, malware deployments, and website defacements. Of these, approximately 150 incidents reportedly resulted in successful system compromises, highlighting critical gaps in existing cyber defence mechanisms.
This comes amid a broader pattern of state-sponsored and coordinated cyber operations targeting India, which security analysts say have grown more persistent and technically advanced in recent years.
What the Report's Authors Said
Khushhal Kaushik, Ethical Hacker and Founder and CEO of Lisianthus Tech, said India's digital transformation has emerged as a global success story, but warned that the cyber threat landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace. 'Cybersecurity is no longer merely an information technology challenge but has become a national security imperative,' he said, adding that cyberattacks, malware campaigns, and state-sponsored cyber operations are becoming 'increasingly sophisticated, coordinated and persistent.'
Kaushik said the nearly 1.5 million cyberattack attempts recorded during Operation Sindoor, combined with the detection of 369 million malware instances, reflect the full scale of the challenge India now faces.
The Cyber Shikshit Bharat Initiative
Through its Cyber Shikshit Bharat initiative, Lisianthus Tech aims to build what it describes as a cyber-aware and cyber-resilient nation. The programme targets citizens, students, government officials, industry leaders, and critical infrastructure operators, equipping them with skills to counter modern cyber threats. Notably, the initiative signals a shift in the industry's approach — from reactive incident response to proactive, education-led resilience.
What Comes Next
With CERT-In incidents crossing 29 lakh in a single year and critical sectors under sustained pressure, cybersecurity experts argue that India needs a credible national cyber resilience framework backed by mandatory reporting standards, cross-sector coordination, and investment in indigenous security capabilities. The trajectory of threats observed during Operation Sindoor suggests the next major stress test may not be far off.
Point of View
But the more telling number is 150 — the confirmed system compromises during Operation Sindoor alone. Volume of attempts is a headline; successful breaches are the real accountability metric, and 150 intrusions across a single operation signals that India's perimeter defences remain porous under coordinated pressure. CERT-In's 29-lakh incident count for 2025 also raises a structural question: how many of those incidents triggered mandatory disclosures, and how many were quietly absorbed? Without transparent, standardised reporting enforced across sectors — especially power and telecom — aggregate numbers risk becoming public relations data points rather than policy drivers.
NationPress
2 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cyberattack attempts did India record according to the Lisianthus Tech report?
According to the report titled 'Cyber Shikshit Bharat: Building a Cyber-Resilient India,' released on 2 August, India recorded more than 265 million cyberattack attempts and 369 million malware detections during the assessment period. CERT-In separately logged over 29.44 lakh cybersecurity incidents in 2025.
What happened during Operation Sindoor in terms of cyber threats?
During Operation Sindoor, nearly 1.5 million cyberattack attempts were recorded, including DDoS attacks, phishing campaigns, malware deployments, and website defacements. Approximately 150 of these incidents reportedly resulted in successful system compromises.
Which sectors in India are most vulnerable to cyberattacks?
The report highlights the power sector as particularly exposed, with nearly 200,000 attempted cyber intrusions recorded. Telecom networks, government systems, and other critical infrastructure sectors also faced sustained threats during the assessment period.
What is the Cyber Shikshit Bharat initiative?
Cyber Shikshit Bharat is an initiative by Lisianthus Tech aimed at building cyber awareness and resilience across India. It targets citizens, students, government officials, industry leaders, and critical infrastructure operators with training to counter modern cyber threats.
Why does the Lisianthus Tech report say cybersecurity is a national security issue?
The report argues that cyberattacks, malware campaigns, and state-sponsored operations have grown too sophisticated and coordinated to be treated as routine IT problems. Founder Khushhal Kaushik stated that the scale of threats — including 369 million malware detections and 1.5 million attacks during Operation Sindoor — makes cybersecurity a national security imperative for India.
