Nearly 25% of internet users in India faced cyberthreats in 2025: Report

Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky claims to have blocked over 4.7 crore web-based threats that were faced by 24.7 per cent of internet users in India in 2025.

Internet users in India, on average, encountered approximately 1,30,209 web threats per day during the year, Kaspersky said in a statement.

"Nearly a quarter (24.7 per cent) of Internet users in India faced web-based threats in 2025. Between January and December 2025, Kaspersky products detected and blocked 47,526,422 Internet-borne cyberthreats on users' computers across the country," the company said.

Globally, India was ranked 62nd in terms of users affected by web-borne threats, according to data obtained and processed by Kaspersky Security Network (KSN).

According to KSN data, attacks delivered via browsers that exploit vulnerabilities in browsers and their plug-ins remain the primary method of online threats.

"File-less malware continued to be among the most dangerous forms of attack targeting internet users in India in 2025, as it operates in memory and leaves minimal traces on infected systems," Kaspersky said.

Globally, malicious email attacks grew by 15 per cent in 2025.

Kaspersky telemetry shows that nearly every second email worldwide was spam, including unsolicited messages as well as scam emails, phishing attempts, and malware.

The Asia Pacific (APAC) region recorded the highest percentage (30 per cent) of antivirus detections in malicious emails and unwanted attachments, the statement said.

Phishing and email attacks have also become more refined, with cybercriminals increasingly using evasion techniques such as disguising phishing URLs with the help of link protection services and QR codes.

When scanned on mobile devices, these QR codes can expose users to exploitation, the statement said.

"Cybercriminals lured email users into switching to messengers or calling fraudulent phone numbers, where they were coerced into sharing personal information, which was then used for financial theft and blackmail. India also reported multiple cases of 'digital arrest' scams in 2025," said Jaydeep Singh, General Manager for India at Kaspersky.