Cyber attacks targeting government networks have risen sharply in recent months, with attempted intrusions increasing nearly sevenfold following Operation Sindoor, a senior official at a government-run technology services body said on Thursday.
Alok Tiwari, managing director of National Informatics Centre Services Incorporated (NICSI), said the spike shows growing vulnerabilities across ministries, data centres and digital platforms that deliver services to citizens. NICSI provides information technology and infrastructure support to central and state government organisations.
Speaking at the opening of IFSEC India 2025, a security technology exhibition, Tiwari said cyber threats have evolved alongside the government’s rapid push to digitise public services and adopt artificial intelligence across departments.
“Post-Operation Sindoor, attackers have intensified their efforts and attempted hits on government networks have surged nearly seven times,” he said.
He said cybersecurity capabilities within government systems have undergone a “fourfold transformation” in recent years, particularly in securing ministries, data centres and citizen-facing platforms.
However, the sharp rise in attack attempts has exposed gaps that require more advanced defences, especially against ransomware, phishing and supply-chain attacks.
Both centre and state governments have expanded the use of digital platforms for services such as welfare delivery, taxation, identity verification and internal administration, increasing the volume of sensitive data stored and processed online.
Tiwari also flagged quantum computing as an emerging challenge, warning that advances in the field could render existing encryption algorithms ineffective within the next few years.
He said this makes it necessary for government systems to begin developing and adopting quantum-resilient security frameworks.
At the same time, cloud computing is scaling rapidly across public infrastructure, with hyperscale providers supporting large national digital workloads.
While this has improved flexibility and speed, it has also expanded the potential attack surface, he said, adding that the next three to four years would pose significant technological and security challenges.
Informa Markets India managing director Yogesh Mudras whose company organised the IFSEC India 2025 said demand for AI-led and interoperable security systems is rising across sectors, including urban surveillance projects, transport infrastructure, workplaces, retail and industrial automation.
He said India’s electronic security market is now estimated at about $12 billion, growing at 14% to 18% annually.
