The average cost of data breaches in India stand at $2.18 million in 2023, up 28% since 2020 though less than the global average cost of $4.5 million, RBI’s annual report on currency and finance which was themed around digitalisation said. The report citing German data and statistics platform Statista said globally, cybercrime costs are expected to reach $13.82 trillion by 2028, up from $8.15 trillion in 2023. “The average cost of a data breach has also risen to $4.45 million in 2023, a 15% increase over three years (IBM, 2023). Recognising the significant costs involved, most central banks have increased their cyber security investment budgets by 5% since 2020. The most common attacks in India are phishing (22%), followed by stolen or compromised credentials (16%),” the report said. An industry-wise distribution of cyber-attacks in India shows that the automotive industry is the most vulnerable, with smart mobility application programming interfaces (APIs) and electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure emerging as major attack vectors. Government, education and power sectors are the other top sectors most vulnerable to cyber-attacks, the report said. The banking and financial sector and information technology sectors are the least likely to face a cyber-attack the report said.