Cybersecurity Awareness Month occurs in October. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) created it to increase general awareness of emerging online threats and how best to avoid them.

User Access

There are likely a high number of systems in place at your institution. Running a successful financial institution relies heavily on tools and technologies that will improve the efficiencies of you and your team.

In a video released to FINOSEC Academy, Co-Founder and CEO, Zach Duke, poses some questions around the processes you currently have in place at your institution. Regardless of which department you think of first, it is likely that some outdated processes are still in place, and your information security and cyber security teams are no exception.

It’s vital for you to fully understand the information security management systems you have in place

But it’s a nuisance to keep track of them all. First, you need to know the status of every component, especially for the systems you outsourced. Then, you must also understand the different kinds of information the systems store, how it’s stored, how data is transmitted, and what kinds of information is transmitted.

ISO Independence

A vital component of your information security program is an information security officer that is independent and adhering to appropriate segregation of duties as outlined by regulatory expectations. 

And let’s acknowledge the tests associated with bank examiners definitely fall into the “not fun” category.

Have you addressed the Computer-Security Incident Notification Requirements for Banking Organizations?   Full compliance has been extended to May 1, 2022.   Five questions to ask:

It is understood and expected that auditors and examiners will ask financial institutions about the safeguards, controls, and tools in place that drive and strengthen their cybersecurity governance. But as FINOSEC President and CEO Zach Duke describes in today’s video, they will also be looking for additional components. The industry is seeing expectations to describe the nuances of what questions and processes were present in cyber related strategic decisions, a concept called “credible challenge.” Auditors and examiners are looking for validation that the Board and other executive leadership members are asking solid questions and demonstrate compelling processes in making decisions around cybersecurity. Watch the video from Zach below and come back after the break for further discussion.

The practice of user access reporting within financial institutions has historically been an arduous process that relies on archaic technology and is both time and labor intensive. While generating multiple user access reports per year would be ideal, many financial institutions, through no fault of their own, often find they can only produce the bare minimum amount of reporting required annually. But as cyber risks continue to grow and the regulatory requirements continue to increase, it is vital that financial institutions can quickly and easily produce these reports, and with increased frequency. 

The landscape of cyber risk, and the equal and opposite best practices, is an ever evolving, ever growing, moving target. Staying abreast of the latest recommendations and regulatory expectations can be a daunting task, but it isn’t one that has to be faced alone. Partnerships between community banks and the right FinTech can make all the difference. Zach Duke, CEO and Founder of FINOSEC, sits down with the FinTech Cowboys at FedFis to discuss the nuances of the industry and share their mutual belief that these partnerships help ensure everyone can win. Built on the idea that everyone deserves simple cybersecurity governance, Zach shares how FINOSEC comes alongside community bankers to meet those challenges head on. Furthermore, they discuss how, in a technology saturated environment, trust and integrity are still the heart of these successes. Watch the video below and check out the notes after the break.