• Karnataka recorded 1.78 million ransomware detections, with an average of 4,887 attacks daily
• The state contributed 4.3% of India’s total malware detections and 9% of national ransomware incidents
• Bengaluru topped the list of affected cities in Karnataka, with 4x higher malware detection rates than the state average
• Professional services face the highest number of attacks, followed by government and education sectors
• Telegram-based threat actors launched daily attacks on government portals, hospitals, and educational institutions, including defacements and DDoS disruptions

Mysore, 15th February 2025: Seqrite, the enterprise arm of Quick Heal Technologies Ltd., a global cybersecurity solutions pro, has unveiled its Karnataka Cyber Threat Report 2025, offering an in-depth analysis of the cyber threat landscape in one of India’s most digitally advanced states. The report was presented at ‘CyberShield Mysuru’ hosted by Cyberverse Foundation in the presence of Shri Darshan HV, IAS, Additional Secretary to Government Dept. of Electronics, IT, BT and Science & Technology Govt. of Karnataka and Managing Director of Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society, Shri. Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, Member of Parliament, Mysuru-Kodagu, Vishal Salvi, CEO of Quick Heal Technologies Ltd, Mr. Vinayak Godse, CEO DSCI and Smt. Trishikha Kumari Wadiyar, Chairperson, Cyberverse Foundation.

The report, compiled by researchers at Seqrite Labs, India’s largest malware analysis center highlights alarming trends in malware, ransomware, and cyberattacks targeting critical sectors such as IT, healthcare, education, and government services. With the state recording 11.46 million malware detections in 2024 – an average of 31,388 detections per day – the findings emphasize the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect Karnataka’s digital infrastructure.

The report reveals that Karnataka accounted for 4.3% of total malware detections in India, making it one of the top ten most attacked states. Ransomware detections in the state are also deeply concerning, with 1.78 million detections, representing 9% of India’s total ransomware cases. Bengaluru emerged as the epicenter of these threats, recording malware detection rates four times higher than the state average due to its concentration of IT firms and digital enterprises. Professional services were the hardest-hit industry, with 6.84 million detection hits, followed by government and education sectors. These statistics underscore the growing sophistication of cybercriminals targeting high-value data and critical operations.

Karnataka Cyber Threat Report also highlights how attackers exploited election cycles, financial year-end activities, and festive seasons to launch targeted campaigns. For example, phishing campaigns surged during the March-April 2024, possibly due to the elections that were scheduled around that period. Similarly, ransomware attacks on BFSI (Banking, Financial Services & Insurance) institutions peaked during tax filing periods in July 2024. Festive seasons saw scams targeting students and job seekers through fake admission and hiring portals.

Several high-profile incidents are detailed in the report, including a ransomware attack on Manipal Hospitals that disrupted patient care by encrypting critical medical records and administrative systems. Another significant case was the February 2025 Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack on Karnataka’s Kaveri 2.0 property registration portal, which caused delays in property transactions and an estimated ₹47.75 crore revenue loss in a single day. The report also documents hacktivist-led attacks on government portals and educational institutions throughout 2024.

During the unveiling of the report, Vishal Salvi, CEO of Quick Heal Technologies Ltd., commented, “The findings from our Karnataka Cyber Threat Report 2025 provide a deep-dive into the evolving tactics of cybercriminals who are increasingly targeting high-value sectors such as healthcare, government services, and IT infrastructure. Both, individuals and organizations, must adopt advanced measures like real-time threat detection powered by AI-driven tools such as Quick Heal AntiFraud.AI, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and zero-trust architectures to safeguard their assets. At Quick Heal Technologies Ltd, we are proactively working towards ensuring robust data privacy for users across industries. All our retail products under the brand ‘Quick Heal’, and enterprise security products under the brand ‘Seqrite’, are fully compliant with the provisions mentioned in the recently released provisions of the DPDP Act.”

The Karnataka Cyber Threat Report also highlights emerging trends such as double extortion ransomware tactics, where attackers not only encrypt data but also threaten to leak it, and AI-powered phishing campaigns that exploit deepfake technology to deceive victims. Banking trojans like Dridex and Emotet continue to plague financial institutions during peak periods like tax season. Amidst this, the government of Karnataka has taken significant steps to combat cybercrime through its Cyber Security Policy 2024. The state allocated ₹100 crore to train 40,000 cybersecurity professionals while focusing on sector-specific strategies for BFSI, education, manufacturing, and government agencies. However, Quick Heal recommends further investments in advanced threat intelligence & fraud prevention systems like AntiFraud.AI for fraud detection and prevention across industries.

The release of Karnataka Cyber Threat Report 2025 serves as a wake-up call for organizations across industries to prioritize cybersecurity as a core business function rather than an afterthought. By leveraging comprehensive cybersecurity solutions from Quick Heal and its enterprise brand Seqrite, which are designed to simplify IT security management while ensuring compliance with national data protection laws, individuals and businesses can build resilient defenses against evolving cyber threats.

For more information about Karnataka Cyber Threat Report 2025 or its comprehensive security solutions, visit www.seqrite.com/india-cyber-threat-report-2025

About Quick Heal Technologies Limited

Quick Heal Technologies Ltd. is a global cybersecurity solutions provider. Each Quick Heal product is designed to simplify IT security management across the length and depth of devices and on multiple platforms. They are customized to suit consumers, small businesses, government establishments, and corporate houses. Over a span of nearly 3 decades, the company’s R&D has focused on computer and network security solutions.

The current portfolio of cloud-based security and advanced machine learning-enabled solutions stops threats, attacks, and malicious traffic before it strikes. This considerably reduces the system resource usage. The security solutions are indigenously developed in India. Quick Heal Antivirus Solutions, Quick Heal Scan Engine, and the entire range of Quick Heal products are proprietary items of Quick Heal Technologies Ltd. Recently, unveiled Quick Heal pioneers India’s first fraud prevention solution, AntiFraud.AI available for Android, iOS and Windows. To know more please visit: www.quickheal.co.in

About Seqrite

Seqrite is a leading enterprise cybersecurity solutions provider. With a focus on simplifying cybersecurity, Seqrite delivers comprehensive solutions and services through our patented, AI/ML-powered tech stack to protect businesses against the latest threats by securing devices, applications, networks, cloud, data, and identity. Seqrite is the Enterprise arm of the global cybersecurity brand, Quick Heal Technologies Limited, the only listed cybersecurity products and solutions company in India.

We are the first and only Indian company to have solidified India’s position on the global map by collaborating with the Govt. of the USA on its NIST NCCoE’s Data Classification project. We are differentiated by our easy-to-deploy, seamless-to-integrate comprehensive solutions providing the highest level of protection against emerging and sophisticated threats powered by state-of-the-art threat intelligence and playbooks backed by world-class service provided by best-in-class security experts at India’s largest malware analysis lab – Seqrite Labs. We are the only Indian full-stack company aligned with CSMA architecture recommendations, offering award-winning Endpoint Protection, Enterprise Mobility Management, Zero Trust Network Access, and many more. Seqrite Data Privacy management solution enables organizations to stay fully compliant with the DPDP Act and global regulations.

Today, 30,000+ enterprises in more than 70 countries trust Seqrite with their cybersecurity needs. For more information, please visit: www.seqrite.com