India recorded the highest number of mobile threat detections among eight Asia-Pacific markets analysed by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky in the first quarter of 2026, according to a report. The country logged 18,187 detections, ahead of Indonesia at 15,163, making the two countries the region's largest markets by threat volume.
Regional threat metrics
Kaspersky's analysis of the eight Asia-Pacific markets found that the average number of mobile threat detections per affected user increased 49% year-on-year to 7.3 in Q1 2026, from 4.9 a year earlier. The increase came even as the overall number of users encountering threats declined, suggesting that cybercriminals are concentrating their efforts on a smaller set of targets and attacking them more repeatedly.
| Market | Mobile threat detections (Q1 2026) |
|---|---|
| India | 18,187 |
| Indonesia | 15,163 |
Malware strains affecting India
Kaspersky said India continues to face malware such as the Rewardsteal Trojan, which disguises itself as reward or giveaway applications to steal sensitive user information. Researchers have also seen a resurgence of the Thamera Trojan, which can hijack devices and use them to create fraudulent social media accounts at scale.
Attack channels and methods
Attackers are increasingly using fake promotions, phishing pages, fraudulent surveys and malicious advertisements to steal credentials and personal information, Kaspersky reported. Such links are being distributed through messaging apps, SMS, social media, fake job offers and cryptocurrency promotions.
"Across Apac, mobile threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with cybercriminals combining stealthy attack techniques, persistent malware and AI-powered deception to target consumers." — Choon Hong Chee, head of consumer channel for Apac at Kaspersky
Implications for mobile-dependent organisations
The report highlights growing risks for mobile users as attackers become more persistent and sophisticated. Across the region, the combination of AI-powered deception, persistent malware and device-hijacking trojans points to a threat environment where individual mobile devices are both the target and the launch point for wider fraud schemes. The 49% rise in detections per affected user reinforces Kaspersky's assessment that cybercriminals are concentrating on a smaller set of victims with more repeated attacks, even as the overall number of users encountering threats declines.
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