Anant Deshpande, Regional Vice President-India & ASEAN, DigiCert.
India’s burgeoning e-commerce sector is proving instrumental in propelling growth for DigiCert, an American cybersecurity firm renowned for supplying digital certificates that safeguard websites, applications, and online communications.
The uptake of DigiCert’s flagship enterprise solution, DigiCert ONE, which facilitates the issuance and management of security certificates across diverse IT infrastructures, has experienced a nearly 100% surge in India over the past 18 months, according to company reports.
Digital certificates are pivotal to online security, enabling encrypted communications, authenticating users and devices, and thwarting unauthorised access.
Their application is prevalent among enterprises managing websites, payment systems, mobile applications, and cloud services.
DigiCert has significantly expanded its customer base in India within this timeframe, supplementing its pre-existing clientele, as noted by Anant Deshpande, the firm’s regional vice president for India and ASEAN. “The trajectory is positive,” he commented.
Demand has been particularly pronounced among large internet-centric businesses, including e-commerce platforms, healthcare providers, and entities operating within regulated industries.
In numerous instances, the scope of adoption extends beyond basic SSL and TLS certificates to encompass services like email authentication, wireless security, and passwordless access.
One prominent Indian client utilises DigiCert’s UltraDNS service for its entire platform, underscoring the significance of domain name system security and certificate management in ensuring operational continuity for online ventures, Deshpande remarked.
E-commerce enterprises, especially those navigating regulatory frameworks due to payment gateways, are notably quicker to implement certificate management solutions, he observed.
Financial institutions are also investing in this technology; however, they tend to proceed with caution to balance security enhancements against potential operational risks.
Addressing the encroaching commoditization of the market for SSL and TLS certificates, with numerous vendors providing rapid issuance at competitive prices, Deshpande indicated that larger organisations now prioritise managing these certificates at scale rather than their initial procurement.
“Acquiring a certificate can take mere minutes,” he stated. “The real question is what transpires thereafter.”
Shorter validity periods mandated by browsers and industry protocols have escalated the risk of service interruptions due to renewal oversights, prompting businesses to adopt automation and centralised oversight for their digital assets.
“There is no panacea in security,” Deshpande cautioned. “Incidents are inevitable.”
Moreover, interest in post-quantum cryptography is gaining traction as organisations brace for an eventual transition from current encryption standards, such as RSA 2048, to quantum-resistant algorithms.
The US National Institute of Standards and Technology has already released specifications for standards like Dilithium, with additional guidelines anticipated.
In India, governmental interest in quantum technologies is on the rise, although formal mandates remain unissued. Initiatives like the National Quantum Mission indicate potential future policy directions, Deshpande noted.
“It is only a matter of time before these considerations translate into formal requirements,” Deshpande asserted.
DigiCert ONE Now Locally Hosted
In recognition of the ascending significance of the Indian market, DigiCert has recently unveiled a locally hosted iteration of DigiCert ONE, enabling clients to manage certificates and cryptographic keys domestically.
This initiative is tailored for organisations facing stringent data residency and compliance mandates, particularly within sectors such as banking, telecommunications, and healthcare.
Source link: Techobserver.in.
