Education was the most targeted sector by cyberattackers in the past six months, with organisations facing 8,195 attacks per week, more than double the global average of 3,355, a new report has found.

Healthcare was the second-most targeted with 7,982 weekly attacks per organisation over this period. It was followed by the government/military sector experiencing 4,590 attacks and the consulting sector facing 4,177 weekly attacks per organisation, according to a threat intelligence report by cybersecurity platform provider Check Point Software Technologies.

The report attributed the surge in attacks in education largely to the rapid shift to remote learning during COVID-19 and the continued digitisation of education.

“Educational institutions in India are collecting and storing vast amounts of sensitive student data, including personal, academic, and financial information, making them prime targets for cybercriminals,” Check Point said in a statement on Friday.

It said that the increasing frequency and sophistication of cyberattacks, coupled with the widespread adoption of online learning platforms, has expanded the digital footprint of these institutions, making them more vulnerable to data breaches.

Cybercriminals are exploiting weak cybersecurity defences in schools and universities to steal personally identifiable information (PII), often sold on the Dark Web, it added.

The study found that over the past six months, organisations in India have experienced an average of 3,244 cyberattacks per week – nearly double the global average of 1,657 attacks per organisation.

This underscores the heightened vulnerability of Indian organisations in the face of escalating cyber threats, the report said.

Sundar Balasubramanian, managing director for India and SAARC at Check Point Software Technologies, said, “Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting critical sectors in India, particularly those handling vast amounts of personally identifiable information, such as education, which often has wide attack surface. With the rise of Gen AI, these threats are poised to become even more severe especially as social engineering and phishing attacks escalate.”

He highlighted the urgent need for organisations to strengthen cybersecurity frameworks with proactive measures including robust defences and continuous monitoring, adding this is essential to safeguard sensitive data and maintain operational integrity.

The most prevalent malware in India were found to be FakeUpdates, Qbot, and Formbook, with 54% of attacks delivered via email and 58% of email-borne attacks using .exe files, the report said. Further, information disclosure vulnerabilities affected 70% of Indian organisations, exposing critical data to threats.