2025 Report Reveals India as Global Leader in Mobile Malware and IoT Threats, ETCIO

India-specific findings from a 2025 threat report on mobile, IoT, and OT security highlight how threat actors are increasingly using malware and adapting tactics to exploit mobile-first and connected environments. The report identifies hundreds of malicious applications hosted on official app marketplaces, many disguised as productivity or workflow tools, underscoring persistent risks in hybrid and remote work settings. Malicious apps and mobile malware trends The analysis identified 239 malicious applications distributed through the Google Play Store, collectively downloaded approximately 42 million times. These apps were primarily categorized under “Tools,” leveraging user trust in utility and productivity software. The findings reflect a 67% year-over-year increase in Android malware activity , driven largely by spyware and banking-related malware. Sectoral targeting patterns In India, the most frequently targeted sectors for mobile and IoT-related attacks were Retail & Wholesale (38%) and Hospitality, Restaurants, and Leisure (31%), followed by Manufacturing (16%) and Energy, Utilities, Oil & Gas (8%). The concentration in consumer-facing and operationally intensive sectors points to attacker interest in environments with high transaction volumes and extensive IoT deployments. IoT malware landscape Backdoor and botnet-style malware dominated IoT detections. The most commonly observed malware family accounted for 85% of cases, followed by other exploit- and riskware-based families. These findings indicate continued exploitation of exposed or weakly secured IoT devices. Geographic distribution of threats Globally, mobile malware activity was most concentrated in India (26%), followed by the United States (15%) and Canada (14%). India recorded a 38% increase in mobile threat activity compared to the year. For IoT malware traffic, the United States accounted for the largest (54%), followed by Hong Kong (15%), Germany (6%), India (5%), and China (4%). The data indicates that regions with large-scale digital adoption and connected infrastructure remain key targets. E volving attacker techniques The report documents several emerging trends, including: