Education sector witnesses over 7 lakh cyber threats in India in Q2; SEQRITE’s latest threat report

SEQRITE, a leading cybersecurity solutions provider, has released its much-anticipated Threat Report for the second quarter of 2023. The report, created by researchers at India’s largest malware analysis lab, SEQRITE Labs, sheds light on the evolving threat landscape and highlights the alarming rise in cyberattacks across various industries.

The latest threat intelligence from SEQRITE Labs reveals a concerning trend, with the education sector emerging as the most targeted industry, accounting for more than 7 lakh detected threats from April to June 2023. This substantial figure underscores the increasing vulnerability of educational institutions to cyberattacks. The manufacturing industry stood second, reporting 3.29 lakh threats, and was followed closely by professional services with 3.28 lakh threats. These numbers indicate that cybercriminals are diversifying their focus, targeting a wide range of sectors with malicious intent.

Among the key findings in the report, researchers at SEQRITE Labs identified the top threats that have wreaked havoc in these sectors. In the education sector, the most prevalent threat was identified as W32.Neshta.C8. This malicious software has proven to be a formidable adversary, posing a significant challenge to educational institutions. Manufacturing, on the other hand, grappled with PIF.StucksNet. Professional services faced a similar threat landscape with Trojan.KillAv.DR.

While these threats dominated their respective sectors, SEQRITE’s Threat Report also highlighted other notable sectors under attack. Government entities faced 22.6 lakh threats, followed by the automobile industry with 144.4 thousand threats, and hospitality & healthcare with 13.7 lakh threats. The BFSI sector, IT/ITES, power & energy, and strategic & public enterprises also reported significant numbers of detected threats.

SEQRITE’s Threat Report serves as a stark reminder of the persistent and evolving nature of cyber threats. It underscores the critical importance of cybersecurity measures to safeguard organisations and their data. As the threat landscape continues to evolve, SEQRITE remains committed to providing cutting-edge solutions to protect businesses and institutions from cyberattacks.