The cyber security experts on Tuesday raised concern over the increase in cases of cyber attacks in India and stressed the need for stronger measures to tackle the problem. The thoughts were shared during a release of a report titled ‘The Invisible Hand’ by PRAHAR, an NGO, which focuses on such issues in the public domain which, if not addressed, can cause helplessness among Indian citizens.

According to PRAHAR’s statistical projections, India will be attracting nearly one trillion cyber attacks annually by 2033. By the time the country turns 100 in 2047, it will face a target of 17 trillion cyber attacks.

“This staggering scale underscores the urgent need for a robust, large-scale cyber defence apparatus to safeguard the nation,” it said.

Expressing grave concerns on cyber attacks, Abhay Mishra, national convenor and president of PRAHAR, said there are two types of cyber attacks. The first involves traditional hackers who exploit vulnerabilities in systems for financial gain or disruption, he said.

“The second, the more insidious form, targets citizens, recruiting them to engage in anti-national activities through manipulation, coercion or threats. Such tactics are most likely to be used on illegal betting apps,” he said.

The NGO’s report stated that in 2023, the country experienced over 79 million cyber attacks, ranking it third globally in terms of the number of such incidents. This marked a 15 per cent increase from the previous year. The escalation continued into 2024, it added.

In the first quarter, the report indicated a sharp rise in cyber attacks, with over 500 million incidents blocked in just three months, it added.

Anuj Agarwal, a renowned techno-legal expert and chairman of the Centre for Research on Cyber Crime and Cyber Law, said, “Communities must be involved to bear upon our youth to deter them from falling prey to illegal social media platforms.”

Former IPS officer Muktesh Chander, who specialises in cyber crime investigation and technology management and is a PhD in Cyber Security from IIT Delhi, said, “A situation has arisen where not only individual hackers or disgruntled people but also state-sponsored actors and states themselves are engaging in activities that sabotage important parameters of the economy.”

Snehil Dhall, a distinguished criminologist and founder of Crimophobia, said, “Today, the reactive part of cyber security measures is on display in India while the proactive part of cyber security measures is missing. Our strategy today is trying to diminish or neutralise a threat.

“But we need to go on the offensive. It is the era of surgical strikes and it is time to prepare for a surgical strike on interests that are posing a threat to our nation,” Dhall said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also flagged the issue of fraudsters targeting people with the cyber crime of “digital arrests” and urged people to adopt the mantra of “stop, think and take action” when faced with such a scam, asserting that these steps will provide digital security to them.

In his monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’ broadcast on Sunday, he said probe agencies are working with the states to deal with the issue but added that awareness is essential in protecting oneself from this crime.