389% Surge in Ransomware, 4.8 Million Cybersecurity Jobs Vacant Worldwide: Kerala IPS Officer Manoj Abraham
The cybersecurity threat landscape is changing rapidly, and the shortage of skilled professionals capable of defending digital systems has become a serious concern for governments, businesses and ordinary citizens alike. Speaking at the Kerala Cyber Suraksha Summit 2026, senior Kerala-cadre IPS officer Manoj Abraham underlined the growing gap between increasingly sophisticated cyber threats and the availability of trained cybersecurity professionals.
Manoj Abraham, a 1994-batch IPS officer of the Kerala cadre holding the rank of Director General of Police, currently serves as Director of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB). Addressing the second edition of the summit in Kochi on September 5, he stressed that cybersecurity can no longer be treated as a specialised concern limited to technology companies. With ransomware attacks escalating globally and cyber fraud causing enormous financial losses, he said the need of the hour is to build a much larger pool of trained “defenders” capable of responding to digital attacks.
Ransomware Victims Rise 389% Worldwide
Abraham drew attention to the extraordinary pace at which cybercrime is expanding. Citing global figures, he said the number of ransomware victims worldwide had increased by 389 per cent year-on-year, highlighting the scale of the challenge confronting organisations and institutions.
Ransomware has emerged as one of the most disruptive forms of cybercrime because an attack can cripple an organisation’s digital infrastructure, lock access to critical data and disrupt essential services. The impact can extend well beyond financial losses, particularly when attacks target institutions or infrastructure on which large sections of society depend.
The Kerala IPS officer also pointed to the financial consequences of cyber fraud in India. According to the figures cited by him, reported financial losses arising from cyber fraud in the country reached Rs 19,813 crore during 2025. The numbers, he suggested, underline why cybersecurity needs to be treated as a strategic priority rather than simply an IT-related issue.
‘We Need More Defenders’
The central message from Abraham’s address was straightforward: the world needs substantially more trained cybersecurity professionals. He pointed out that approximately 4.8 million cybersecurity positions remain unfilled globally, creating a major skills gap at a time when cybercriminals are becoming more organised and technically sophisticated.
This shortage creates a difficult situation for both public and private organisations. Digital systems are expanding rapidly, artificial intelligence is changing the nature of cyber threats, and more services are moving online, yet the workforce required to secure these systems has not expanded at the same pace.
Abraham said cyberattacks can potentially affect critical infrastructure and major organisations without the use of conventional physical force. That makes cybersecurity a distinctive security challenge, requiring specialised knowledge, continuous training and the ability to respond quickly when threats emerge.
He also noted that Kerala has an advantage in addressing this challenge because the state already has a substantial pool of technology professionals and skilled human resources. Developing this existing talent into a stronger cybersecurity workforce, therefore, could help Kerala play a bigger role in India’s broader digital security ecosystem.
Cybersecurity Awareness Needs to Go Beyond IT Companies
The Kerala Cyber Suraksha Summit also focused on a larger question: how can cybersecurity awareness and skills be taken beyond specialised technology institutions and corporate environments?
Cyber threats increasingly affect people and organisations that may not consider themselves part of the technology sector. Government offices, educational institutions, small businesses, financial organisations and ordinary internet users all rely on digital systems and can become targets of cybercrime.
Hibi Eden, Member of Parliament, appreciated the initiative taken by F9 Infotech to provide cybersecurity training, awareness programmes and certification free of cost to government educational institutions across Kerala. Such initiatives can help create awareness among students and institutional staff while also introducing young people to cybersecurity as a potential career field.
The emphasis on educational institutions is particularly relevant because the cybersecurity workforce of the future will need to be built well before professionals enter the job market. Early exposure to cyber awareness, digital safety and security skills can help students develop the foundation required for more advanced training.
India Has Reported Huge Cyber Fraud Losses
Jayakumar Mohanachandran, founder of F9 Infotech, also highlighted the scale of cyber fraud in India and argued that cybersecurity must move beyond boardrooms and technology conferences.
According to figures cited by him, more than Rs 56,000 crore has been reported in cyber fraud complaints across India over the last three years. At the same time, India’s cyber-fraud response mechanisms have helped prevent or save more than Rs 11,000 crore across approximately 32 lakh complaints.
The figures illustrate both sides of India’s cybersecurity challenge. On one side, the financial impact of cybercrime is enormous. On the other, improved reporting, rapid intervention and coordinated response mechanisms can help limit losses and protect victims.
For Mohanachandran, the bigger question is no longer simply how authorities and organisations can stop the next cyberattack. The challenge is to create a digital environment in which people can confidently use online services without constantly fearing that their data, money or identity could be compromised.
AI Security and Emerging Threats Take Centre Stage
The Kerala Cyber Suraksha Summit 2026 brought together a broad group of stakeholders from government, policing, technology, cybersecurity and industry. Policymakers, law-enforcement officials, technology leaders and cybersecurity specialists participated in discussions around the changing digital threat environment.
Among the major subjects discussed at the summit were cybersecurity and digital resilience, artificial intelligence security, emerging cyber threats, cloud security, Zero Trust architecture, cyber risk management and cybersecurity awareness and skills.
The official programme also featured discussions on AI-powered enterprise security and national cyber resilience. Emerging cyber threats were examined alongside practical demonstrations, including live cyberattack simulations designed to give participants a closer look at how cyber incidents can unfold and how security teams may respond.
The growing use of artificial intelligence has added another layer to the cybersecurity debate. While AI can strengthen security systems by helping identify unusual behaviour and automate certain defensive functions, the same technology can also be exploited by attackers to make cyber threats faster, more targeted and harder to detect.
Major Cybersecurity Stakeholders Attend Summit
Several prominent figures from the technology, industry and public sectors attended the event. Air Commodore Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation Chairman C Balagopal, Digital University Kerala Vice-Chancellor Saji Gopinath and Data Security Council of India CEO Vinayak Godse were among those present.
Senior officials from F9 Infotech also participated in the summit, which was organised by F9 Infotech in association with the Government of Kerala and Kerala Startup Mission. The event also received support from the Data Security Council of India, TiE Kerala and the Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The broad participation reflected the increasingly cross-sector nature of cybersecurity. Protecting digital infrastructure is no longer something that can be handled by one department, one company or even one category of professionals. It requires collaboration between governments, police forces, technology companies, educational institutions, industry bodies and citizens.
Kerala’s Opportunity to Build a Cybersecurity Workforce
For Kerala, the cybersecurity skills shortage could represent both a challenge and an opportunity. The state already has a strong base of educated and technically skilled professionals, and the next step could be to channel more of this talent into cybersecurity, digital forensics, cloud security, AI security and related fields.
The global figure of 4.8 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs indicates that demand for skilled professionals is likely to remain strong. Building training programmes, certification opportunities and awareness initiatives could help bridge the gap while creating new career opportunities for young people.
Manoj Abraham’s remarks at the Kerala Cyber Suraksha Summit therefore point to a problem that extends far beyond the immediate threat posed by ransomware or online fraud. The deeper challenge is whether governments and institutions can develop enough skilled professionals to defend an increasingly digital society.
With cyber fraud losses running into thousands of crores in India and ransomware attacks rising sharply around the world, the message from the Kerala summit was unmistakable. Digital security now requires not just better technology, but more trained people who understand how to use it, protect it and respond when something goes wrong.
For Kerala, its existing technology talent pool could provide a valuable starting point. The task ahead is to turn that talent into a stronger cybersecurity workforce capable of protecting businesses, institutions, critical infrastructure and citizens in an increasingly connected world.
