Bringing Apache Airflow to a Security-First Organization: The Unconventional Battle for Automation

What happens when you introduce Apache Airflow in an organization where every change is scrutinized, every deployment must pass security hurdles, and cloud is not an option?

In this talk, I share how I successfully implemented Airflow inside a high-compliance, security-driven environment, overcoming infrastructure limitations, manual workflows, and initial resistance from leadership.

This session will cover:

1. How I deployed Airflow in an on-premise, cost-conscious setup without Docker or cloud
2. How I automated DAG deployments from GitHub Actions, bridging Windows-based engineers with a Linux-hosted Airflow instance
3. Security and compliance challenges: Getting Airflow approved in a highly regulated setting Scaling workflows: From a single team to cross-departmental adoption
4. What worked, what failed, and what I’d do differently

Who Should Attend?

1. Engineers working in finance, healthcare, or security-restricted industries
2. Teams trying to introduce Airflow but facing organizational resistance

This isn’t just a technical talk, it’s a real-world battle story about deploying Airflow where most wouldn’t even try.