More than half of Indian enterprises faced ransomware attacks: survey

More than half of Indian enterprises faced ransomware attacks in the past year, with more than 7 in 10 (71%) reporting a surge in AI-driven phishing or deepfake attempts, making India one of the most targeted and AI-exposed markets globally according to findings of a Global Ransomware Survey conducted by OpenText, which is into secure information management for AI.

As per the findings, Indian organisations are stepping up their cybersecurity posture, with cloud security (68%), network protection (60%), and backup technologies (58%) emerging as top priorities for 2026, indicating a proactive approach to securing hybrid and AI-powered environments.

“Ransomware incidents continue to be widespread,” the survey finds out. The survey was conducted with nearly 1,800 security practitioners and business leaders across seven countries, including more than 200 from India.

“In India, nearly 70% of affected organisations admitted to paying a ransom to regain access to their data, marking one of the highest rates globally. However, despite these persistent threats, 98.6% of Indian respondents expressed confidence in their organisation’s ability to recover, underscoring a widening gap between perceived resilience and actual exposure,” OpenText said in a statement.

The report also underscores the expanding role of AI in both cyberattacks and defence. “Over 71% of Indian organisations observed an increase in phishing or ransomware attempts linked to AI, while 66% encountered deepfake-style impersonation attacks such as voice and video spoofing,” the firm said.

“This surge in AI-enabled threats comes as an overwhelming majority of organisations (95%) allow employees to use generative AI tools, yet just over half have a formal AI-use or data privacy policy in place,” it added. 

“Organisations are right to be confident in their progress in security posture, but they can’t afford to be complacent,” said Muhi Majzoub, executive vice-president, Security Products, OpenText. 

“AI fuels productivity while also heightening risk through insufficient governance and its expanding use in attacks. Managing information securely and intelligently is essential to building resilience in organisations of any size,” he added.

“The findings point to a widening AI confidence gap as enterprises are quick to embrace AI for productivity and innovation but slower to implement governance frameworks that ensure compliance, privacy, and security,” the firm said. 

“Among Indian organisations hit by ransomware, only about 12% were able to fully recover their encrypted or stolen data, indicating that preparedness often falters in practice,” it said.

As per the findings ransomware incidents in India are also becoming more complex, with attacks frequently entering through third-party service providers or software supply chains.

Nearly two-third of surveyed organisations reported being impacted by a vendor or managed services partner breach in the past year. In response, 91% now conduct formal cybersecurity assessments of software suppliers, and 83% outsource parts of their security operations to managed service providers.

“Yet, even as these measures strengthen organisational defenses, heavy dependence on third-party ecosystems continues to expose businesses to cascading risks, especially in sectors such as technology, financial services, and manufacturing,” OpenText said.