India's cyber numbers kept climbing through 2025. CERT-In handled 29,44,248 cyber security incidents that year, more than twice the 2021 count, and citizens lost ₹22,845.73 crore to cyber fraud in 2024 according to the Ministry of Home Affairs. This guide brings together the latest government statements and research reports, explains what each number measures, and sets out what an Indian company should take from them.
CERT-In incident counts, 2021 to 2025
The most cited Indian figure is the number of cyber security incidents handled by CERT-In, the national computer emergency response team. In a Lok Sabha reply on 24 March 2026, the Minister of State for Home gave the yearly series below. The count dipped slightly in 2022, then rose every year after, with the sharpest jump between 2024 and 2025.
These are incidents reported to or tracked by CERT-In, not confirmed breaches, and the government noted that CERT-In does not keep data on financial losses from cyber incidents. It is best used to track how much activity is reported each year. Treat the figures as a measure of volume rather than damage.
| Year | Incidents handled by CERT-In | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14,02,809 | Base year |
| 2022 | 13,91,457 | Slight dip |
| 2023 | 15,92,917 | Rise resumes |
| 2024 | 20,41,360 | Above 20 lakh |
| 2025 | 29,44,248 | More than twice 2021 |
Cyber fraud: complaints and money lost
Cyber fraud is tracked separately through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP), run by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre. Complaints rose from 10,29,026 in 2022 to 15,96,493 in 2023 and 22,68,346 in 2024. Reported losses jumped from ₹7,465.18 crore in 2023 to ₹22,845.73 crore in 2024, roughly a threefold increase in one year.
Counting both the portal and the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS), the ministry recorded 36,37,288 financial fraud incidents in 2024, against 24,42,978 in 2023. Many of these hit individuals, but the same playbooks of fake payment requests, impersonation and investment scams are used against company finance teams and their staff.
| Measure | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| NCRP complaints | 15,96,493 | 22,68,346 |
| Money lost to cyber fraud | ₹7,465.18 crore | ₹22,845.73 crore |
| Financial fraud incidents (NCRP and CFCFRMS) | 24,42,978 | 36,37,288 |
What a data breach costs an Indian company
IBM's Cost of a Data Breach study, published in mid 2026, put the average cost of a breach in India at ₹25.5 crore, a record and 15.9% higher than the ₹22 crore reported a year earlier. The average breach exposed 39,500 records, up from 38,200. The figure covers detection, response, notification and lost business, not just fines or ransom.
Costs vary sharply by sector. Financial services had the highest average at ₹40.9 crore per breach, followed by technology at ₹35.7 crore and communications at ₹34.5 crore. For a lender, a SaaS company or a telecom reseller, these are the numbers to bring to a board discussion about security budgets.
| Sector (India) | Average cost per breach, 2026 study |
|---|---|
| Financial services | ₹40.9 crore |
| Technology | ₹35.7 crore |
| Communications | ₹34.5 crore |
| All sectors | ₹25.5 crore |
How attackers get in
In IBM's India data, phishing (including voice and SMS phishing) was the most common initial attack vector at 19% of breaches. Drive-by compromise, where a user is infected by visiting a malicious or hacked website, accounted for 16%, and supply chain compromise for 15%. IBM also found that 26% of malicious breaches in India were AI-generated.
Global data points the same way. Verizon's 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report, which analysed more than 22,000 confirmed breaches, found that exploited vulnerabilities were the top known initial access vector at 31%, up from 20% a year earlier, and that ransomware was involved in 48% of breaches. Third parties were involved in 48% of confirmed breaches, up from about 30%.
- Phishing, voice and SMS phishing: 19% of Indian breaches
- Drive-by compromise: 16%
- Supply chain compromise: 15%
- AI-generated share of malicious breaches in India: 26%
What the government response looks like
CERT-In's 2025 activity figures, released in January 2026, give a sense of the national effort. It issued 1,530 alerts and 390 vulnerability notes, ran 122 cyber security drills and exercises with 1,570 organisations joining tabletop exercises, and had 231 audit organisations empanelled. Its Cyber Swachhta Kendra botnet removal tools were downloaded 89.55 lakh times.
On the fraud side, the ministry said in its March 2026 reply that more than ₹8,690 crore had been saved across over 24.65 lakh complaints through CFCFRMS, and that suspect identifiers shared through the cyber criminal registry helped decline transactions worth ₹9,518.91 crore. Earlier, in July 2025, it reported more than 9.42 lakh SIM cards and 2,63,348 IMEIs blocked. The 1930 helpline is the national number for reporting financial cyber fraud.
| Government measure | Figure | As of |
|---|---|---|
| CERT-In alerts issued | 1,530 | 2025 |
| CERT-In vulnerability notes | 390 | 2025 |
| Drills and exercises | 122 | 2025 |
| Money saved through CFCFRMS | ₹8,690 crore+ | 31 Jan 2026 |
| Transactions declined via suspect registry | ₹9,518.91 crore | 31 Jan 2026 |
Attack attempt counts from industry reports
Vendor reports measure something different again: attempts blocked or detected. A report from Indian security firm Lisianthus Tech, released in August 2026, counted more than 265 million cyber attack attempts and 369 million malware detections in India during its assessment period, and nearly 1.5 million attack attempts during Operation Sindoor, about 150 of which reportedly led to successful compromises.
Attempt counts are useful for showing scale, but they depend on each vendor's sensors and are not comparable with CERT-In incident counts or NCRP complaints. When you quote a number, say which of the three it is: attempts, incidents or reported losses.
What these numbers mean for an Indian company
The data argues for a short list of controls rather than a long one. Phishing is the leading way in, so email authentication, phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication and a callback rule for payment changes come first. Exploited vulnerabilities are rising, so patch internet-facing systems quickly. Third-party involvement is growing, so review what suppliers can access.
IBM's India figures also show what pays back. Organisations with extensive security AI and automation averaged ₹21.3 crore per breach, against ₹31.6 crore for those with none, and offensive security testing such as penetration testing and red teaming reduced average cost by ₹2.47 crore. XDQ Labs runs authorised security testing and fixes for Indian teams that want to act on these findings.
- Turn on MFA for email, cloud and finance tools
- Verify every change to bank details by phone on a known number
- Patch internet-facing systems within days, not weeks
- Keep tested offline backups
- Report fraud to 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in immediately
Frequently asked questions
How many cyber attacks happened in India in 2025?
CERT-In handled 29,44,248 cyber security incidents in 2025, according to a Lok Sabha reply in March 2026. That is up from 20,41,360 in 2024 and more than twice the 14,02,809 recorded in 2021. Vendor reports that count blocked attempts give much larger numbers, such as 265 million attempts in one 2026 report.
How much money did Indians lose to cyber fraud?
The Ministry of Home Affairs told the Lok Sabha that citizens lost ₹22,845.73 crore to cyber fraud in 2024, up from ₹7,465.18 crore in 2023. Complaints on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal rose to 22,68,346 in 2024. Figures for full year 2025 losses had not been published in the sources we reviewed.
What is the average cost of a data breach in India?
IBM's 2026 Cost of a Data Breach study put the average cost in India at ₹25.5 crore, a record and 15.9% above the previous year's ₹22 crore. Financial services was the costliest sector at ₹40.9 crore per breach, followed by technology at ₹35.7 crore.
What is the most common way Indian companies are breached?
In IBM's 2026 India data, phishing, including voice and SMS phishing, was the most common initial attack vector at 19% of breaches. Drive-by compromise followed at 16% and supply chain compromise at 15%. Globally, Verizon's 2026 report found exploited vulnerabilities were the top known entry point at 31%.
Sources
- Delhi tops cybersecurity incidents as cases double nationwide since 2021: Govt, Millennium Post (PTI), 2026
- CERT-In handled over 29.44 lakh cyber incidents in 2025, gains global recognition, The Morung Express (IANS), 2026
- Citizens lost over Rs 22,845 Cr to cyber criminals in 2024: Govt, YourStory, 2025
- Over Rs 7,000 crore saved through Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System, News On AIR (Prasar Bharati), 2025
- IBM Report: India's Average Data Breach Cost Hits Record INR 25.5 Cr, Entrepreneur India, 2026
- India records over 265 million cyberattack attempts, report highlights rising cyber threats, Telangana Today (IANS), 2026
- Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report 2026, CyberScoop, 2026
- Verizon DBIR 2026: vulnerability exploitation, third-party risk and compliance, ComplianceHub, 2026
