Every day, countless cellular-connected devices quietly communicate across the internet and private networks, often without the knowledge or oversight of the organisations that own them. From IoT sensors to critical industrial equipment, these devices sit outside traditional IT controls, creating a blind spot in many enterprises’ security strategies.

It is easy to assume that mobile networks are inherently secure, assuming telecom carriers provide end-to-end protection. The reality is far more complex. Mobile carriers may offer network-level protections, but these are not designed to safeguard the sensitive data or applications that flow across connected devices. Most endpoints run multiple software components, make a variety of outbound requests, and operate beyond the reach of traditional firewalls or VPNs. This implicit trust in cellular connections leaves organisations vulnerable to threats that can slip through unnoticed.

When Connectivity Turns into Vulnerability

What happens when the backbone of India’s digital economy, 1.17 million wireless subscribers, becomes its greatest security risk?

India is in the midst of one of the world’s fastest 5G rollouts. Billions of devices are coming online across various industries, including retail, manufacturing, logistics and governance. From IoT-enabled traffic lights and real-time train information systems (RTIS) to mobile point-of-sale (PoS) devices in tier 2 and 3 cities, cellular connectivity is now central to India’s progress. But every new device is also a potential entry point for attackers.

Understanding the Scale of the Risk

The warning signs are already here. In 2023, CERT-In responded to nearly 1.6 million cybersecurity incidents, a number that reflects the escalating complexity and number of attacks directed at India’s digital ecosystem.

Meanwhile, UPI transactions reached an astonishing 19.47 billion in July 2025, amounting to ₹25.08 trillion. Many of these were facilitated through mobile PoS systems operating on cellular-based networks. Meanwhile, in metropolitan cities like Ahmedabad, Pune, and Chennai, smart city projects are based on SIM-enabled sensors for essential services such as traffic management, surveillance, and waste collection. Indian Railways is also becoming wireless-enabled with embedded cellular sensors to modernise cargo and signalling systems.

These advances signal progress, but without visibility, each new connection also introduces a fresh vulnerability.

The Visibility Gap

Without full visibility into what cellular devices are doing, security teams cannot detect anomalies, enforce granular policies, or respond effectively to emerging risks. The legacy reliance on firewalls, VPNs, and costly backhaul infrastructure simply doesn’t scale for the sprawling, dynamic world of mobile and IoT. This not only increases the attack surface but also adds operational headaches.

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From Blind Trust to Informed Control

Enterprises need to reframe their approach to cellular security. Visibility must become the foundation, knowing exactly which devices are connecting, what data they’re exchanging, and whether those exchanges are legitimate.

Enterprises must move from blind trust to informed control. Every connection, whether from a point-of-sale device in a remote town or an industrial sensor in a factory, must be inspected and governed by uniform policies. Security must be consistent, irrespective of geography, network type, or device capability.

The legacy model of relying on routable IPs or backhauling traffic through firewalls is broken. It slows down performance, inflates costs, and broadens the attack surface. What’s needed is a new paradigm, one where policies are applied from the first packet, securing devices no matter where they operate.

Visibility is more than a technical advantage; it is the starting point for active protection. In a world where a single compromised SIM can become an attacker’s entry point, enterprises must ensure cellular traffic is subject to the same scrutiny and policy enforcement as any other part of the network.

The Road Ahead

India’s digital infrastructure is becoming more mobile, modular, and mission-critical. And so, the attack surface will only expand. Organisations that treat cellular networks as ‘out of sight, out of mind’ leave themselves at risk.

The path forward is clear: every device, and so does every connection, matters. In India’s connected future, knowing what your cellular devices are doing is not just a security question; it’s a business imperative.

Views Shared by: Nathan Howe, Senior Vice President, Innovation & Product Management at Zscaler

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