In a landmark cybersecurity event held recently in India, ESET Security Days focused on the growing impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on global and national cybersecurity challenges. The conference brought together top technology experts, corporate leaders, and cybersecurity professionals to discuss how AI is reshaping both defense strategies and cyber threats.
With the theme “Building cybersecurity resilience in an AI-everywhere world,” the conference highlighted how AI, while empowering innovation, is also being exploited by cybercriminals. Experts emphasized that the same technology helping businesses streamline operations is being used by hackers to automate and amplify attacks.
According to ESET’s 2025 threat telemetry, overall cyber threat detections in India dropped by 12% compared to the previous year — a positive sign of improved awareness and security measures.
However, the report also revealed a 70% surge in ransomware incidents between late 2024 and early 2025. This sharp rise underscores how cybercriminals are increasingly turning to sophisticated, AI-driven attack models.
Phishing continues to dominate India’s cyber threat landscape, with evolving techniques that use generative AI to create highly convincing scam messages and fake websites.
One of the biggest highlights of the event was the revelation of the world’s first AI-powered ransomware, dubbed PromptLock, developed as a proof of concept. This marks the beginning of a new era where attackers use AI to generate malicious code that adapts and learns in real time — making detection and prevention far more challenging.
Another alarming trend is the 500% rise in HTML/FakeCaptcha scams, which lure users into clicking fake security prompts leading to data theft or malware downloads. Fortunately, collaborative global efforts among cybersecurity experts have recently brought down many of these campaigns.
Industry leaders at the event stressed that cybersecurity must now be treated as a business priority, not just an IT responsibility. As India continues to accelerate its digital transformation, organizations must strengthen their security posture through AI-driven monitoring, real-time threat analysis, and continuous employee training.
Partnerships between global tech leaders and Indian enterprises are also enabling more robust protection frameworks — from supply chain defenses to hybrid cloud environments.
The discussions at ESET Security Days reaffirmed one message loud and clear — AI is redefining the battlefield of cybersecurity. As attackers become smarter, defenders must be even smarter. The future of digital safety lies in proactive intelligence, global cooperation, and unwavering vigilance.
Experts unanimously agreed that resilience in the AI era depends on a combination of technology, awareness, and collaboration. Strengthening endpoint security, protecting data integrity, and fostering cybersecurity education are essential steps for safeguarding India’s digital ecosystem.
