Securing Indian Data Centres with Mobile Access Solutions

In today's data-driven world, where information is the new gold standard, data centre security has become a top priority for every IT department. With data privacy and ethical management being not just best practices but legal mandates, the stakes are higher.

In India, the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, has been enacted to safeguard personal data, ensuring that data privacy is a legal requirement. This aligns with global standards like the GDPR, but with a focus on local data sovereignty and protection.

The issue of insider threats is significant in India as well. According to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024, data breaches initiated by malicious insiders globally were the most costly, around $4.99 million on average. According to the report, Gen AI may be playing a role in creating some of these phishing attacks. In India, the average cost of a data breach has been rising - from $2.18 Million to $2.35 Million in 2024, reflecting the need for stringent security measures.

Data privacy regulations such as India's DPDP Act and sector-specific mandates by the Reserve Bank of India for local storage of payment data emphasise the importance of physical security in data centres. These regulations necessitate robust access control systems to prevent unauthorised access and data breaches. Advanced access control solutions, such as mobile credentials, can streamline and enhance security by providing a way to quickly monitor who accessed a server or cabinet. In India, the data centre market is expanding rapidly, driven by increased digital consumption and regulatory requirements for data localisation.

In India, compliance with data protection laws involves reporting cybersecurity incidents to relevant authorities. This includes adhering to the guidelines set by the DPDP Act, which mandates protection and accountability in handling personal data. Particularly in multi-tenant data centres and remote sites, where servers from different clients and industries may reside in one server cabinet, access control at the cabinet level offers an extra layer of security compared to room-level security alone.