What if your biggest cybersecurity risk isn’t a hacker, but an AI smarter than your firewall?
Well, that’s not fiction. It’s happening now.
According to a new survey by Fortinet and IDC, India is experiencing a threefold increase in AI-driven cyber threats.
Let that sink in: Cyberattacks powered by artificial intelligence have tripled in volume, scale, and speed, leaving a trail of compromised systems and unprepared organisations.
The Alarming Data
- 72% of Indian businesses have already encountered AI-based threats in the past year
- 12% report a 3X increase in attack volume
- Only 14% feel “very confident” in their existing security posture
- 21% don’t have systems in place to even detect these threats
What’s Changing?
We’re no longer dealing with traditional hackers.
Today’s cybercriminals are deploying:
- Deepfake phishing to impersonate executives
- AI-generated malware that mutates on the fly
- Smart reconnaissance bots that scan your system vulnerabilities before you blink
These are autonomous, relentless, and fast-evolving threats. And your static, manual security protocols? They’re already outdated.
The Urgent Need for a New Cybersecurity Paradigm
The era of reactive defence is over. India’s enterprise sector needs to shift towards:
- AI-augmented threat detection systems
- Identity and Access Management (IAM) as a strategic control point
- Zero Trust Architecture to block lateral movement
- Unified threat intelligence platforms for 24/7 surveillance
This is not a nice-to-have. It’s existential.
What Happens If We Don’t?
Without immediate intervention, we’ll see:
- More nation-state-backed cyberattacks on infrastructure
- Wider attack surfaces in hybrid cloud and remote work environments
- Billions in lost revenue, damaged trust, and operational chaos
The threat isn’t on the horizon. It’s already here, and it’s automated.
The Takeaway
Cybersecurity in India is at a tipping point.
AI is being weaponised faster than most organisations are adapting.
If you’re still viewing IAM or threat detection as “just IT costs,” you’re walking blind into an arms race.
What are the easy solutions?
- Audit your AI readiness. Is your IAM system smart enough to spot anomalies in real-time?
- Invest in behaviour-driven security, not just firewalls.
Talk to your teams. The weakest link might be human, and AI knows that too.
