Cybersecurity: India’s $1 trillion digital opportunity hinges on reskilling

By Adeeba Fatima Dadlani, Chief Business Officer – Quess IT Staffing

India is caught in a digital paradox. While we champion ‘Digital India’ and ‘Viksit Bharat,’ we also hold the dubious distinction of recording one of the highest global ransom payment rates, with nearly 70% of affected organizations paying to recover data, according to an Open Text report. This willingness to pay, fuelled by the relentless rise of AI-powered ransomware and deepfakes, exposes a dangerous truth: our security capabilities are simply not keeping pace with the threat velocity.

As one of the most attacked nations globally, where nearly half of the country’s enterprises have been hit by ransomware, companies acknowledge that the rapid penetration of AI is outpacing available defences. This escalating threat has exposed a massive talent shortfall. Though India hosts roughly 400,000 active cybersecurity professionals, some reports suggest the demand could exceed 1.2 ...