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NEW DELHI: Indian businesses must align their cybersecurity budgets with their growth objectives to ensure sustainable expansion amidst increasing digitalisation and associated risks, according to Adrian Hia, managing director for the APAC region at Kaspersky.
Hia emphasised the importance of embracing new-age technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (GenAI), as critical tools for boosting business.
“In order to grow businesses, you need to digitise. If you don’t digitise, you are not going to have that business growth value,” Hia told PTI.
Rising digitalisation increases cybersecurity risks
While digitalisation drives business growth, it also expands the attack surface, exposing companies to sophisticated cyber threats, according to Hia. He said that if Indian businesses aim for a 20% growth, they must similarly increase their cybersecurity budgets by 20% to prepare for potential cyberattacks. Hia stressed the importance of maintaining systems and data security during the digital transformation process.
Increasing cyber threats in India
A report by SonicWall revealed that malware attacks in India increased by 11% in 2024, reaching 1.34 million compared to 1.21 million the previous year.
Kaspersky also said that brute force and targeted attacks are escalating, with ransomware accounting for one-third of cyber incidents in 2023.
Data exposure behind rising cyberattacks
According to Hia, the rise in cyberattacks is due to the growing amount of data exposed on the internet, which has expanded nearly tenfold through applications and web server data. He also said that the proliferation of smartphones has played a significant role in the same, as the growing number of devices has greatly expanded the attack surface.
AI, a double-edged sword
Hia described AI as a “double-edged sword,” acknowledging that while it enables business growth, it also increases the risk of data exposure. However, businesses are incorporating these modern technologies to enhance profitability, even as they navigate the persistent threats, according to Hia.
Hia emphasised the importance of embracing new-age technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (GenAI), as critical tools for boosting business.
“In order to grow businesses, you need to digitise. If you don’t digitise, you are not going to have that business growth value,” Hia told PTI.
Rising digitalisation increases cybersecurity risks
While digitalisation drives business growth, it also expands the attack surface, exposing companies to sophisticated cyber threats, according to Hia. He said that if Indian businesses aim for a 20% growth, they must similarly increase their cybersecurity budgets by 20% to prepare for potential cyberattacks. Hia stressed the importance of maintaining systems and data security during the digital transformation process.
Increasing cyber threats in India
A report by SonicWall revealed that malware attacks in India increased by 11% in 2024, reaching 1.34 million compared to 1.21 million the previous year.
Kaspersky also said that brute force and targeted attacks are escalating, with ransomware accounting for one-third of cyber incidents in 2023.
Data exposure behind rising cyberattacks
According to Hia, the rise in cyberattacks is due to the growing amount of data exposed on the internet, which has expanded nearly tenfold through applications and web server data. He also said that the proliferation of smartphones has played a significant role in the same, as the growing number of devices has greatly expanded the attack surface.
AI, a double-edged sword
Hia described AI as a “double-edged sword,” acknowledging that while it enables business growth, it also increases the risk of data exposure. However, businesses are incorporating these modern technologies to enhance profitability, even as they navigate the persistent threats, according to Hia.
