Alarming rise of cyber threats in Telangana: Report

The report reveals that identity theft is the most reported cybercrime in Telangana, with nearly 30,000 incidents registered

Hyderabad: In a significant escalation in cyber threats, the Telangana State has emerged as one of the most targeted States in India, accounting for 23 per cent of all malware detections nationwide in 2024, with over 6.25 million incidents recorded, a Telangana Cyber Threat Report-2025 released by Seqrite, the enterprise arm of Quick Heal Technologies Ltd, on Monday said.

The report reveals that identity theft is the most reported cybercrime in Telangana, with nearly 30,000 incidents registered. This includes 11,125 cases of unauthorised transactions, and 5,369 incidents of KYC updation fraud.

---

Impersonation frauds accounted for a concerning 18,647 cases, which included courier frauds, police impersonation and digital arrest scams. With several growing economic hubs in the state, people also fell prey to nearly 26,000 business and investment scams.

Advertisement fraud (17,669 cases) and loan fraud (12,589 cases) comprised other prominent forms of fraud detected in the State.

Apart from digital frauds, ransomware attacks also surged alarmingly, with an average of 47 attacks per day and a total of 17,505 incidents last year. Among the most affected sectors were IT/ITES, manufacturing, and education, which saw repeated disruptions due to cyberattacks, the report said.

Seqrite’s report details several high-profile incidents that underline the severity of the threat landscape. A ransomware attack on Narayana Group hospitals and educational services disrupted critical patient care and administrative operations by encrypting electronic medical records (EMR) and billing systems.

Similarly, Sivaraj Medical Colleges suffered a devastating breach that compromised sensitive student records, financial transactions, and faculty payroll systems. Both attacks exploited vulnerabilities such as phishing emails and weak access controls to gain entry into critical systems, the report said.

Hacktivist groups operating through platforms like Telegram have also intensified their activities in Telangana. These groups have targeted government portals such as data.telangana.gov.in and educational institutions like Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University.

Sensitive citizen data, login credentials, and governmental documents were leaked online, while website defacements tarnished the reputations of public institutions. For instance, the Deputy Chief Minister’s website was breached, exposing internal documents that raised serious concerns about data privacy and security.

Vishal Salvi, CEO, Quick Heal Technologies Limited said, “Telangana is becoming a key IT hub, driving India’s digital economy through robust infrastructure and innovation-driven policies. As the State develops, the rise in cyber threats is inevitable. Corroborating this, the Telangana Cyber Threat Report 2025 provides detailed insights that clearly highlight the need to strengthen the State’s cybersecurity posture.”