India’s digital growth hinges on data pipeline security

By Prakash Kumar

India’s digital infrastructure is experiencing unprecedented growth, driven by flagship initiatives such as Digital India and the rapid adoption of cloud technologies across various sectors, including healthcare, manufacturing, and fintech. According to the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), the country had over 700 million Internet users as of 2023, making it one of the largest online populations globally.

India is also the second-largest smartphone market, and the use of cloud-based solutions has expanded significantly over the past decade. This surge in digital usage, particularly in fintech, healthcare, and manufacturing, has elevated data to the role of operational backbone. However, it has also introduced new vulnerabilities. In today’s increasingly regulated environment, securing data pipelines is not optional—it is a critical imperative for long-term digital stability.

The DPDP Act: A New Era for Data Governance

The introduction of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act marks a transformative moment in India’s data governance landscape. Drawing from global benchmarks such as the GDPR, the Act emphasises data minimisation, purpose limitation, and the necessity of individual consent. Organisations now have both a legal and ethical obligation to overhaul their data handling practices. They must also ensure that the collection, processing, storage, and sharing of data are secure and transparent.

Data pipelines, responsible for transferring vast volumes of structured and unstructured data between systems, are especially prone to risk. Misconfigurations, weak access controls, and outdated legacy systems can expose organisations to cyber threats. In highly regulated sectors like healthcare or public services, a single breach can not only erode public trust but also lead to significant regulatory penalties.

Securing the Data Pipeline: A Layered Approach

To safeguard these dynamic pipelines, security must be embedded at every stage—from data ingestion to storage and analytics. Here are the key strategies that must be included.

#1

Encryption and Access Control: Data, whether in transit or at rest, must be encrypted using robust standards such as AES-256. Implementing granular access restrictions ensures that only authorised individuals can access sensitive information. Identity and Access Management (IAM) systems further enhance internal controls through role-based access management.

#2

Policy Frameworks and Compliance Mapping: A well-defined policy framework aligns security protocols with regulatory requirements. This includes data retention guidelines, comprehensive record-keeping, and clearly defined procedures for breach notification. Several Indian public sector enterprises have demonstrated how standardised controls enhance governance and accountability.

#3

AI-Powered Threat Detection: As data volumes continue to expand rapidly, manual monitoring is insufficient. AI and machine learning models can identify anomalies, such as abnormal data flows or unusual access patterns, and issue real-time alerts. For instance, automatic notifications triggered by mass access to healthcare records can help prevent misuse.

#4

Zero Trust Architecture: The “never trust, always verify” principle of Zero Trust is gaining ground in India. Every access request is treated as potentially malicious and evaluated based on user identity, device integrity, and data sensitivity. This model is particularly vital in remote and hybrid work environments.

#5

Regular Security Assessments: Conducting periodic assessments is crucial to maintaining a strong security posture. Choosing the appropriate framework—whether NIST, ISO 27001, or OWASP—and the correct type of evaluation (vulnerability testing, penetration tests, or security audits) is essential. These assessments should combine automated tools, such as Nessus and Qualys, with manual inspections. The findings must be rigorously classified, risk-assessed, and addressed by the respective teams through to resolution.

Despite the most comprehensive security strategies, there is always a possibility of an overlooked threat vector. Hence, backup and disaster recovery (DR) planning is critical for ensuring business continuity in the event of a breach or system failure. This begins with identifying and classifying data based on criticality. Accordingly, the backup strategy—whether full, incremental, or differential—should be defined, along with appropriate frequency and retention policies.

Selecting the proper storage solution and ensuring regulatory compliance are key steps. A detailed disaster recovery (DR) plan, with regular testing, significantly strengthens the overall security posture. These practices not only protect sensitive data but also help preserve customer and stakeholder trust.

Building Secure Systems from the Ground Up

Trust—whether in systems, governance, or innovation—is fundamental to India’s digital growth story. For technology leaders, this trust cannot rest solely on compliance. It requires a “security by design” approach, embedding cybersecurity into the very architecture of products, applications, and platforms. India, as a nation, still has a long way to go in terms of security maturity. Cybersecurity must evolve beyond technical implementations and become part of the organisational culture. Only then can India truly emerge as a trusted digital leader.

Cybersecurity today is no longer a siloed function; it is integral to how organisations manage data, build systems, and deliver services, especially in sensitive and highly regulated environments. The age of regulation has arrived. Data pipelines must now be efficient, intelligent, secure, and fully compliant. By proactively investing in robust cybersecurity infrastructure, Indian businesses can build confidently, knowing their digital foundations are both resilient and future-ready.

The author is the Head of Corporate IT at ZEISS India.