Operation Sindoor witnessed nearly 15 lakh cyberattack attempts, with around 150 resulting in successful system compromises, according to a new cybersecurity report. The report says the attacks included distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, phishing campaigns, malware deployments and website defacements, exposing the growing risks confronting critical infrastructure and government systems.

The findings are part of “Cyber Shikshit Bharat: Building a Cyber-Resilient India”, a report released by Indian cybersecurity company Lisianthus Tech. It says India recorded more than 26.5 crore cyberattack attempts, 36.9 crore malware detections and over 29.44 lakh cybersecurity incidents in 2025, citing data from the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In).

According to the report, India’s fast-growing digital economy has made government services, financial systems, healthcare, education and critical infrastructure increasingly dependent on interconnected digital networks. While digitalisation has improved efficiency, it has also expanded the country’s exposure to cybercriminals, ransomware groups and state-sponsored threat actors.

Why Operation Sindoor a major cyber security warning?

The report describes Operation Sindoor as one of the clearest examples of how cyberattacks now accompany military and geopolitical events. It says attackers launched DDoS attacks, phishing campaigns, malware deployments, website disruptions and influence operations during the military confrontation with Pakistan in May last year. Around 150 of these attacks reportedly succeeded in compromising targeted systems.

Critical infrastructure also remained under pressure. According to the report, the power sector alone faced nearly 2 lakh attempted cyber intrusions. Telecom networks, including BSNL, also came under sustained attacks, while the President’s official website reportedly faced prolonged DDoS activity during the operation.

The report says groups such as APT36 (Transparent Tribe) and SideCopy allegedly targeted defence, aerospace and government organisations using remote access trojans, including Geta RAT and Ares RAT. It says these campaigns demonstrate how cyber espionage, intelligence gathering and influence operations are increasingly becoming part of geopolitical competition.

Biggest concerns

One of the report’s most striking findings is the detection of nearly 36.9 crore malware instances during 2025. That works out to roughly 702 malware detections every minute. According to the report, Trojans and file infectors accounted for nearly 70% of all observed threats, while attackers are using increasingly advanced techniques to evade traditional security systems.

The report also says Indian organisations faced between 1,000 and 2,000 cyberattacks every week, with education, healthcare, manufacturing and government emerging among the most targeted sectors. While Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi and Tamil Nadu remain major hotspots, smaller cities and towns are also facing growing cyber risks as digitisation expands.

Another concern relates to India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023. The report says the law is an important milestone but argues that implementation challenges remain, including compliance requirements, cross-border data transfers, institutional independence and enforcement capacity. It says many medium-sized businesses and startups continue to face practical difficulties in meeting compliance requirements.

To strengthen India’s cyber resilience, the report recommends expanding cybersecurity awareness programmes, building a workforce of more than one million cybersecurity professionals, creating Cyber Security and Artificial Intelligence Centres of Excellence, conducting annual cyber risk audits and investing more in indigenous cybersecurity technologies. It also calls for a National Cyber Crisis Management Framework to coordinate responses during large-scale cyber emergencies.

(With inputs from agencies)