Stolen Logins Fuel Rising Cyberattacks on Indian IT Sector, Says Report

New Delhi — Cybersecurity threats targeting Indian IT companies are increasingly being driven by stolen login credentials, with a staggering 265.52 million detections recorded across more than 8 million endpoints, according to a report released on Monday.

The study by Seqrite, the enterprise security division of Quick Heal Technologies, highlights that credential theft and identity compromise have become the most common entry points for large-scale cyberattacks. The threat landscape, it notes, is now defined by constant, automated attack attempts, reflecting the growing value of India’s IT ecosystem as a target.

Once stolen, login credentials are frequently traded and exploited on the dark web, making them a highly effective tool for cybercriminals to infiltrate systems. These breaches often allow attackers to move across networks undetected, gain higher access privileges, and ultimately execute data theft or ransomware attacks.

The report points out that Indian IT firms are particularly vulnerable due to their access to global infrastructure, intellectual property, and deeply interconnected systems. Trojans alone accounted for nearly 43 per cent of all detections, often serving as the initial mechanism to harvest sensitive login information.

Cybercriminals are increasingly using a mix of phishing attacks, malware, and compromised applications to steal credentials, which are then circulated in underground marketplaces.

With widespread adoption of cloud services, remote access tools, and third-party integrations, the risk is further amplified. A single compromised credential can potentially unlock multiple systems, significantly increasing the scale of damage.

The findings also underline the regulatory implications under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, which mandates organisations to safeguard sensitive data. A breach resulting from stolen credentials could expose customer data, employee records, and proprietary information—leading to compliance violations and financial penalties.

To counter these risks, the report recommends an “identity-first” security approach. This includes adopting zero-trust security models, enforcing multi-factor authentication at every access point, and actively monitoring credential exposure even outside organisational networks.

With inputs from IANS