India's Data Breach Costs Soar to All-Time High of Rs 25.5 Crore

The average cost of a data breach in India has reached an all-time high of Rs 25.5 crore, up from Rs 22 crore last year, according to IBM's annual Cost of a Data Breach Report.

Phishing, including voice and SMS phishing, was the most common initial attack vector in India, accounting for 19% of malicious breaches, followed by drive-by compromise at 16% and supply chain compromise at 15%. The report also found that 26% of malicious breaches in India were AI-generated.

Gaurav Agarwal, Vice President, Technology, IBM India and South Asia, said 'India's accelerating AI adoption is creating immense opportunities for innovation, but it is also enabling cyber threats to evolve rapidly.'

The report highlighted a significant gap between Indian organisations' use of AI and security automation. 68% of surveyed organisations reported limited or no use of AI and security automation.