AI-Driven Cyberattacks to Escalate in 2025, Targeting Healthcare & Finance Sectors: Report

As AI tools become more accessible, attackers can automate and scale operations, leading to an increase in ransomware incidents.

Cyberattacks powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and deepfake technology are expected to dominate the threat landscape in 2025, with sectors like healthcare, finance, and energy being primary targets, according to the India Cyber Threat Report 2025.

Published by the Data Security Council of India (DSCI) in collaboration with Seqrite, the report highlights how evolving cybercriminal tactics pose significant challenges to traditional security measures.

"AI will enable highly sophisticated phishing campaigns using deepfake technology and personalized attack strategies, making them harder to detect," the report warned.

AI-driven malware is predicted to adapt in real-time, bypassing conventional security protocols, while data poisoning attacks will undermine the reliability of critical AI systems in healthcare and autonomous transportation.

Deepfakes & Social Engineering: A Growing Concern

Deepfake technology is poised to play a major role in cybercrime, producing convincing fake audio and video messages from trusted sources.

These malicious tools are expected to amplify social engineering attacks, deceiving users into executing malware or divulging sensitive data.

The report also highlighted the vulnerabilities in supply chains, where AI-enabled methods could be used to compromise development resources and hardware manufacturing processes.

Cybercriminals could insert malicious code through corrupted libraries or embedded hardware components, leading to intricate, large-scale attacks.

Expansion of Ransomware & Cryptojacking Threats

As AI tools become more accessible, attackers can automate and scale operations, leading to an increase in ransomware incidents.

These attacks typically involve locking users out of their systems or encrypting critical data until a ransom is paid.

The rise of cryptocurrency mining is also expected to fuel a surge in crypto-jacking attacks.

Hackers may deploy malware to hijack computing resources for unauthorized cryptocurrency mining, significantly impacting the performance of compromised systems.

IoT Devices & DDoS Attacks on Essential Services

With the proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, poorly secured systems are anticipated to be exploited for large-scale Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks.

Such attacks could disrupt critical services in manufacturing, healthcare, and other sectors dependent on edge computing.

Cybercriminals are likely to develop advanced applications mimicking government benefit systems and investment platforms, leveraging social engineering and malware to commit financial fraud and identity theft. Public welfare recipients and retail investors are expected to be key targets.

Quantum Threats & the Need for Resilience

Traditional security models are becoming ineffective against emerging threats such as zero-day exploits, polymorphic malware, and advanced persistent threats (APTs).

The report emphasized the necessity of integrating AI and machine learning (ML) for faster threat detection and response.

"The increasing complexity of cyber threats requires the automation and speed that AI-driven systems provide. Organizations must adopt AI-enhanced security operations, leverage ML for predictive threat intelligence, and automate incident response to counter these challenges," the report stated.

Critical infrastructure sectors in India, including healthcare, finance, and energy, are expected to remain prime targets for cybercriminals.

Attacks aimed at disrupting essential services, stealing sensitive data, or exploiting geopolitical tensions highlight the urgent need for robust cybersecurity frameworks and continuous monitoring.

The report recommended a proactive approach to cybersecurity, focusing on resilience rather than just prevention.

Strengthening detection capabilities, incident response, and overall cyber resiliency is crucial to safeguarding critical assets.

Recommendations for CISOs & Organizations

The report provided actionable recommendations for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), urging them to prioritize AI-driven security measures.

It advocated adopting predictive threat intelligence and automating incident response processes to address the dynamic threat landscape effectively.

Sangamesh S., Vice President and Head of Seqrite Labs emphasized the importance of resilience in combating emerging threats.

"Organizations must strengthen their detection capabilities, incident response, and cyber resiliency. By adopting a proactive approach, they can mitigate risks and safeguard their critical assets," he said.

About the Report

The India Cyber Threat Report 2025 was unveiled at the 19th edition of DSCI's Annual Information Security Summit (AISS) 2024. It surveyed 204 organizations and C-suite executives across 18 industry sectors.

DSCI, a NASSCOM-affiliated industry body, focuses on data protection and cybersecurity in India. Seqrite, the enterprise arm of Quick Heal Technologies, partnered with DSCI for this research.

The findings underscore the urgent need for Indian enterprises to adopt advanced cybersecurity strategies to combat the increasing sophistication of cyber threats in the coming years.

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