Systematic identification and evaluation of security weaknesses in systems that process personal data.
A vulnerability assessment is a systematic process of identifying, quantifying, and prioritising security vulnerabilities in systems, applications, and infrastructure that process personal data. Under DPDPA's reasonable security safeguards requirement, regular vulnerability assessments demonstrate proactive risk management. This includes automated scanning (SAST, DAST, infrastructure scanning), manual penetration testing, dependency audits, and configuration reviews. Findings must be remediated based on severity within defined timelines.
Regular vulnerability assessments are evidence of "reasonable security safeguards" under DPDPA. If a breach occurs due to a known, unpatched vulnerability, the Board is far more likely to impose maximum penalties than for a zero-day exploit.
A Gurugram fintech runs monthly automated scans (Snyk for dependencies, OWASP ZAP for APIs), quarterly manual penetration tests, and annual third-party security audits. Critical vulnerabilities are patched within 24 hours, high within 7 days. All findings and remediation timelines are logged.
A one-time penetration test at launch is not a vulnerability assessment programme. DPDPA's "reasonable safeguards" implies ongoing, regular assessment as threats evolve and systems change.
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