From Zero Trust to Accountable Systems: Why India Must Rethink Government Cybersecurity

India’s digital governance systems have grown at extraordinary speed.

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Platforms such as Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker, and state service portals now sit at the heart of everyday life, enabling identity, payments, welfare delivery, and public services at an unprecedented scale.This success, however, has also created a new reality. The very systems designed to improve inclusion and efficiency have become some of the most attractive targets for cyber adversaries.

This rapid expansion has also altered the nature of risk. Government platforms are no longer passive repositories of data or simple access points. They increasingly function as decision engines, determining eligibility, flagging anomalies, prioritising enforcement, and shaping citizen outcomes at scale. As artificial intelligence becomes embedded across governance workflows, cybersecurity is no longer just about keeping attackers out. It is about ensuring that automated systems operate fairly, transparently, and with clear accountability.