In last week’s column, I had shared the statistics of various cybercrimes committed against the common man and organizations in India in 2024 and what the government is doing to prevent and control them. In today’s column, I will explain, based on my experience and learnings from industry experts, what types of cybercrimes will plague the common man in India in 2025 and the precautions you can take to prevent them. According to a report, the global loss due to cybercrimes in 2025 will cross 10.5 trillion US dollars, which is approximately 800 lakh crore Indian rupees.
Cybercrime Predictions for 2025 :-
Every year around this time, cyber industry experts and analysts explain the top cybersecurity/crime trends, predictions and challenges for the coming year. What industry experts expect for 2025 include :
- Cybercriminals will increasingly use artificial intelligence (AI) for their crimes. Phishing, social engineering, hacking, password stealing/cracking, deepfakes, voice cloning and ransomware cybercrimes will see an increase in AI use.
- Software tools (programs/apps) required for cyberattacks will be available for rent/purchase, making ordinary cybercriminals more resourceful, intelligent and efficient in committing sophisticated professional cybercrimes.
- The number/volume of cybercrimes committed on/using IoT or smart devices will increase. As the use of smart devices in homes, shops and factories has increased, cybercriminals will take advantage of this and exploit the security loopholes in them to commit crimes.
- Automation and collaboration among cybercriminals is leading towards specialization among them, leading to more credible and complex cybercrimes being executed.
- The number of cybercrimes organized by government or terrorist or organized criminal organizations will increase.
Precautionary measures that can be taken to prevent cybercrimes in 2025 :-
- Always follow the principle of ‘zero trust, patience and confirmation’ in all calls/messages/invitations and digital transactions from unknown numbers.
- Do not click on hyperlinks or scan QR codes or install any applications provided in the message/email from strangers.
- Lock your social media profile or keep it private.
- Do not accept friend requests from strangers without proper background checks.
- Use good antivirus, firewall and VPN software and update it regularly.
- If the returns suggested in the offer are incredibly higher than similar investments, it may be a scam.
- Do not share your Aadhaar and PAN card details or credit/debit card details with strangers or on websites or apps that you are dealing with for the first time.
- Always install apps only from Google Playstore or Apple Store, after checking the review comments and rating.
- Check the website URL and authenticity of the website – A fake/cloned website URL usually starts with “http” instead of “https” and such a website may have some spelling/grammar errors.
- If a stranger unnecessarily rushes you to transfer money or do something, it could be a scam.
- Confirm the name of the sender by typing the number in Googlepay or Truecaller app.
- Always check the source before acting on the news or information you receive and check whether the news is genuine or fake.
- Use double or multi factor authentication for all logins on all apps and websites if supported.