Airtel Business implements AI-powered security operations centre for Numaligarh refinery

To strengthen the cybersecurity infrastructure of Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), a public sector enterprise (PSU) in the oil and gas sector in Northeast India, Airtel Business has implemented its Secure Intelligent Security Operations Centre (iSOC). This strategic initiative comes amid a sharp rise in cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure. Citing data from the Data Security Council of India, Airtel highlighted that attacks on government institutions have surged by 48% in recent years, with the oil and gas sector alone incurring losses exceeding Rs 1.25 lakh crore.

Due to its remote location in Assam and the associated challenges in sourcing cybersecurity talent, NRL faced difficulties in developing in-house capabilities. To address this, the company partnered with Airtel Business to establish a comprehensive cybersecurity framework aimed at securing its IT infrastructure.According to Airtel Business, the collaboration bridges existing gaps by deploying a centralised, AI/ML-driven iSOC, which provides real-time threat detection, compliance support, and 24/7 monitorin

"Think of it as a 24-hour security team for your network and IT infrastructure," stated Airtel Business. "Our Intelligent SOC leverages AI and machine learning to identify and neutralise potential threats before they can cause harm. It continuously monitors and analyses NRL's entire IT landscape, including its central data centre and geographically distributed sites."

“NRL benefits from our extensive security expertise, ensuring robust protection across all layers of the network. Our iSOC empowers NRL to stay ahead of emerging threats with a proactive, future-ready security stance, allowing the organisation to focus on its core operations without compromise. With the Intelligent SOC in constant watch, NRL’s digital assets remain secure amid an evolving threat landscape,” added Airtel Business.

Currently, the Secure iSOC actively monitors over 1,700 devices across NRL’s IT infrastructure, including data centres, servers, desktops, and mobile devices. It enables early threat detection, rapid response, and actionable insights to ensure business continuity and operational resilience.