India faces heightened risk of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure in 2026, warns Kaspersky research

India is likely to see an increase in cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure and government systems in 2026, driven by geopolitical tensions, cross-border conflicts and the continued digitisation of operational technology (OT) environments, according to researchers from Kaspersky.

Experts from Kaspersky’s Global Research & Analysis Team (GReAT) indicate that advanced persistent threats (APTs) affecting India will increasingly be shaped by regional geopolitics and ideological motivations. These threats are expected to go beyond traditional cyberespionage, with a growing focus on disruption-orientated attacks.

Saurabh Sharma, Lead Security Researcher for GReAT at Kaspersky, said that state-sponsored actors and non-state groups are likely to continue leveraging cyber operations as an extension of geopolitical conflict. He noted that defacement campaigns, data leaks, ransomware incidents with political messaging, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and cyber activity linked to diplomatic flashpoints could become more frequent.

Expanding digital footprint increases exposure.

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