Indian IT Firms Face Surge in Credential Theft Attempts, Report Finds

India’s IT sector keeps the world’s digital systems running. But that growth is also making IT firms in India a prime target for hackers.

Stolen login credentials, passwords, usernames, etc., belonging to these firms are high-value commodities on the dark web. And they’re the easiest way into big corporate networks.

A Growing Storm for Indian IT

Seqrite, the enterprise security arm of Quick Heal Technologies, just sounded the alarm. The company sees a clear pattern: attackers are hunting Indian IT firms the most. Why? These firms hold the keys to global systems, valuable intellectual property, and interconnected enterprise networks.

Credential theft isn’t just a one-off hack anymore. It’s more of a precursor to much bigger and broader attacks. To get their hands on login data, attackers employ various methods.

They send phishing emails, inject malware, or hack apps. When they obtain the login, they’ll test it everywhere, across many systems at once. Once inside, they dig in, raise their access level, and either steal files or lock everything up with ransomware.

What the Numbers Reveal

So Seqrite Labs laid out everything they found in their latest India Cyber Threat Report. Their findings? Very eye-opening. They logged 265.52 million threats across over 8 million endpoints, suggesting a non-stop wave of automated attacks.

And one more thing, they found that Trojans are a major problem. Trojans account for nearly 43% of all threat detections. These nasty bits of code often carry the tools to grab your login info. After they steal your credentials, they ship them off to dark web markets. Suddenly, multiple criminals can use your single password. Law enforcement is actively hunting the people running these markets. The FBI recently arrested a Georgia man in a major dark web trafficking case.

Now here’s the thing. Indian IT firms rely too much on cloud platforms. Also, remote access tools. And they love third-party apps. All these are great for business. But for security? They’re risky. One stolen password can open a dozen different environments. The domino effect is massive.

And let’s not forget the legal headache. India’s new Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act puts all the responsibility on companies. They must keep personal and sensitive data safe. If a stolen credential leads to a breach of customer or employee records, that’s a compliance fail. And it comes with big fines.

Ways to Fight Back

Seqrite’s recommendation? Switch to “identity-first security.” That means zero-trust frameworks everywhere. Either that or you risk constant unauthorized access.

Implement MFA on every ong your access point so that if attackers steal your login, they’ll not be able to access your system without an extra code, like one sent via text, email, or app. That’s one way to prevent unauthorized login attempts. Further, always watch for your own exposed credentials on the dark web.

Digital Risk Protection Services also help companies find leaked logins before crooks use them. Their Data Privacy tool gives teams visibility and control over sensitive data across all systems.

For everyday protection? Adopt endpoint security tools, such as getting decent antivirus software. It’ll help block malware and flag suspicious behavior linked to stolen credentials.

Here’s the bottom line: attacks no longer try to break systems. They’re about buying access. As this threat keeps growing, your identity will stay the number one target. And protecting it will be the most important defense you have.