Education Cyberattacks India on the Rise

India’s education sector is facing unprecedented digital threats, with education cyberattacks in India reaching 7,095 per week, making schools, colleges, and research institutions prime targets for hackers.

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The rise of hybrid learning models, extensive device use, and highly connected campuses has expanded the attack surface, exposing sensitive student and research data to malicious actors.

The surge is fueled by hybrid learning models, widespread device use, and highly connected campuses, creating multiple attack surfaces for cybercriminals.

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a pioneer and global leader of cyber security solutions, has unveiled its latest Threat Intelligence Report for the Indian market. The report reveals that the education and research sector in India remained the most attacked industry, facing 7,095 weekly attacks per organization. Following education, the most targeted sectors were government with 5,140 weekly attacks and consumer goods and services with 3,889 weekly attacks, highlighting how diverse industries continue to face mounting cyber risks.

Overall, organizations in India experienced an average of 3,233 cyberattacks per week over the past six months, far exceeding the global average of 2,002 attacks per organization.

The surge in cyberattacks on the education sector is driven by a unique set of factors:

• Expanded digital footprint: Hybrid learning models, the widespread use of personal/shared devices, and highly connected campuses have significantly widened the attack surface.
• Resource constraints: Many institutions continue to rely on limited cyber security budgets, outdated infrastructure, and small IT teams, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation.
• Open access platforms: Heavy dependence on internet-facing tools for collaboration, research, and virtual classrooms creates multiple entry points for attackers.
• High-value targets: Intellectual property, sensitive student data, and access to government-funded research make academic institutions particularly attractive to cybercriminals.

Additionally, Information disclosure vulnerabilities impacted 73 percent of Indian organizations, followed by remote code execution and authentication bypass.

The report highlights several high impact malware trends shaping India’s cyber threat landscape:

• Infostealers surged by 58 percent, stealing credentials and sensitive data, particularly targeting tokens and VPN credentials from BYOD environments. With botnets and banking malware declining, infostealers have become the primary tool for gaining initial access.
• Remote access trojans (RATs) such as Remcos and AsyncRAT continued to bypass defenses, often spread via phishing campaigns.
• Botnets remain active, exploiting compromised websites and edge devices to deliver payloads and establish persistent footholds.

Sundar Balasubramanian, Managing Director, Check Point Software Technologies, India & South Asia. said: “India’s education and research sector continues to be at the epicenter of cyber threats. Infostealers and RATs are exploiting vulnerabilities in hybrid learning models and connected ecosystems. To counter this, institutions need to embrace a prevention first posture powered by cloud native security, endpoint protection and actionable threat intelligence. Safeguarding intellectual capital and ensuring academic continuity requires resilience at the core of every digital strategy.”Recognizing the strategic importance of India in the global cyber security landscape, Check Point continues to strengthen its local presence through dedicated investments in R&D—including its Bengaluru centre—along with enhanced customer support and talent development, ensuring organizations can build resilience against evolving threat.