Mumbai, October 26, 2026: Backdoor detections on systems belonging to Indian small and medium businesses (SMBs) surged by 52.1% year-on-year in the first half of 2026, according to data released by Kaspersky Security Network (KSN). The cybersecurity firm reported identifying 4,52,351 backdoors on SMB systems in India between January and June 2026, up from 2,97,412 in the same period last year and 4,08,244 in the second half of 2025.
The findings highlight a persistent cybersecurity threat to Indian SMBs, with backdoor Trojans enabling attackers to gain hidden remote access, steal data, and launch further attacks. Kaspersky defines backdoors as tools that bypass normal authentication, allowing attackers to return at will and move deeper into networks.
RDP attacks and exploit trends
Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) attacks remain a significant entry point for cybercriminals. Kaspersky recorded 37,38,051 RDP attacks on Indian SMBs in the first half of 2026, averaging around 20,650 attempts per day. While this figure is 47.2% lower than the peak of 70,81,856 attacks in the second half of 2025 and 26.3% below the 50,72,360 attacks in the first half of 2025, it underscores the ongoing risk posed by remote access vulnerabilities.
Exploit detections also declined, falling 35.1% year-on-year to 4,63,997 in H1 2026. Despite the drop, software exploits remain among the most damaging threats to SMBs, alongside phishing, mass malware, and ransomware, according to Kaspersky’s latest global SMB survey.
Impact and cost of cyber incidents
The same survey, which included IT and IT security professionals from 18 countries including India, found that 86% of SMBs had experienced at least one cyber incident in the past year. Financial loss was the most common consequence, cited by 22% of respondents, while nearly 20% reported theft of customer data or disruption to client-facing services. Permanent damage was also reported, with 16% suffering irrecoverable data loss and 13% experiencing irreversible harm to corporate assets.
Attackers most frequently targeted IT teams (50%) and IT security departments (46%), with accounting and finance departments also affected (24%). SMBs were more exposed through customer-service channels (21%) compared to mid-market (15%) and large (17%) companies.
Supply chain security and investment
Security requirements are increasingly extending to the supply chain. A separate Kaspersky study of enterprises found that 69% of organisations globally are considering investing in their contractors’ security, with readiness highest in India at 83%. One in four businesses worldwide have already started sharing security costs with contractors, following supply chain attacks that affected nearly a third of companies in the past year.
“A backdoor is how an attacker stays inside a business long after the first break-in, and a 52% rise tells us Indian SMBs are increasingly being treated as long-term footholds rather than one-off targets. RDP attacks have eased from last year’s peak, but more than 20,000 attempts a day shows remote access is still one of the first doors attackers try. What makes this a boardroom issue is the supply chain. Indian enterprises are among the most willing in the world to invest in their contractors’ security, which means an SMB’s security posture is fast becoming part of how it wins and keeps clients. SMBs need protection that closes these doors by default and can be managed without a dedicated security team,” said Purshottam Bhatia, Head of Consumer Business for South Asia at Kaspersky.
Recommendations for SMBs
Kaspersky recommends that SMBs disable RDP where not needed, avoid exposing it directly to the internet, and use VPN and multi-factor authentication. The company also advises strict access controls, prompt revocation of permissions for departing employees or vendors, timely patching of systems and applications, daily data backups, and readiness for client security reviews.
Statistics in the report are based on anonymised detection data voluntarily shared by Kaspersky users through Kaspersky Security Network, covering the SMB segment in India for H1 2025, H2 2025, and H1 2026.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a press release provided by the concerned organisation and has been edited for style and clarity with the assistance of AI tools. BusinessFortnight does not verify, endorse, or take responsibility for the claims, figures, or statements made in the original release.
