AI-Driven, Deepfake-Enabled Cyberattacks To Rise In 2025; Highest Risk In These Sectors - Report

According to a recent report, cyberattacks are going to become more prevalent in 2025 in sectors like healthcare and finance.

The India Cyber Threat Report 2025 by the Data Security Council of India (DSCI) and Seqrite, noted the evolving threats of cybercrime and the rise of AI-driven attacks as a concern.

The report was launched at the 19th edition of DSCI's Annual Information Security Summit (AISS) 2024. It surveyed 204 organisations and their C-suite executives.

The report highlighted that artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to develop highly sophisticated phishing campaigns that use deepfake technology and personalised attack vectors which makes them harder to detect.

Malware driven by AI adapts quicker and in real-time to evade traditional security measures, while data poisoning attacks compromise the integrity of critical AI systems in sectors like healthcare and autonomous transportation, the report noted.

Attackers can easily automate and scale their operations as AI tools have become more accessible. This makes it easy for the attackers to impact a wider range of victims.

The rise of internet devices will open new avenues for cyber criminals to develop large-scale botnets, the report said.

Poorly secured devices will get exploited in their vulnerabilities by carrying out Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks. This could disrupt essential services in manufacturing and healthcare.

"Critical infrastructure sectors in India, including healthcare, finance, and energy, will remain prime targets for cybercriminals. These attacks will aim to disrupt services, steal sensitive data, and exploit geopolitical tensions, emphasizing the need for robust security frameworks and continuous monitoring to protect essential services," the report, which studied over 18 industry sectors, said.

The report emphasised on focusing on not just prevention but also becoming cyber resilient, as it is the need of the hour. It also recommended embracing AI and Machine Learning (ML) to be better equipped to detect threats and respond accordingly.

(With PTI inputs)