Indian consumers lucrative target for cybercriminals: Quick Heal annual security survey

PUNE: Cybersecurity firm Quick Heal’s Annual Threat Report 2020 finds that Indian consumers are the most lucrative targets for cybercriminals. It said it had detected and blocked over 1 billion known and unknown threats targeting Indian consumers in 2019, which accounted to over 2.9 million detections daily. The report is based on insights analyzed by Quick Heal Security Labs based on the threat data collected during the calendar year.

Consumers in Maharashtra and the Delhi-NCR region were targeted the most, with 38 million and 25 million detections, respectively. This was followed by West Bengal, Karnataka, and Gujarat. Amongst the cities, users in New Delhi saw the most threat detections, followed by Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Pune.

Cybercriminals exploited vulnerabilities in smart IoT-based devices – including smart TVs, phones, IP cameras, it said. “Cybercriminals today are increasingly using advanced techniques to hack vulnerable digital devices to extract private data in exchange for money. This data is sold to parties that typically do not have the best interests of people in their minds. The unfortunate lack of awareness coupled with unpatched vulnerabilities and outdated operating systems makes consumers an easy target,” said Sanjay Katkar, CTO and Joint Managing Director – Quick Heal Technologies.


The company also launched a new suite of cybersecurity solutions, designed to provide best in class protection against advanced threats. This includes features like an advanced Wi-Fi scanner to identify potential security loopholes in the network.

“Over the years, we have evolved ourselves by leveraging the latest tech advances such as AI and ML to deliver the best and cutting-edge security solutions to our users. As consumers adopt more and more digital technologies, it simply makes them vulnerable to threat actors who can easily bank on this opportunity. Our latest offering is designed in line with this vision and ensures that users remain secured in all aspects while they step into the world of internet brimming with hackers and spying agents,” said Katkar.