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Cybersecurity: A Major Challenge for French Guiana Banks
The cybersecurity of financial institutions has become a burning issue, as it involves protecting sensitive information about clients and businesses. Banks must safeguard personal data, financial transactions, and commercial information.
Why is Cybersecurity so Important Today?
The answer lies in the fact that digital transactions are increasingly common, exposing banks to cyber-attack risks. New financial intermediaries have emerged, offering services such as account aggregation and payment processing for merchants. Cloud computing has also become a trend, requiring a new approach to security.
- Risks associated with externalization include data localization and security concerns
- It is essential to ensure that service providers maintain adequate security levels and handle information entrusted to them properly
How can we Ensure our Service Providers have Adequate Security?
We conduct audits of our external service providers alongside our experts. We visit their sites to observe their operations and evaluate their capacity to meet their commitments. The legal and contractual aspects are also crucial, allowing us to formalize our respective obligations.
- Certification programs are used to inform our risk analysis
- We rely on these analyses to make informed decisions
Can Banks Act Alone Against Cybersecurity Risks?
No, not alone, as banks are part of an ecosystem and any failure can have a domino effect. This systemic risk reinforces our obligation to protect ourselves and our clients.
How has the Sector Organized to Respond to this Systemic Risk?
Banks have established CERT (Computer Emergency Response Teams): these teams are the “firefighters” capable of intervening during incidents. Within these CERTs, information sharing mechanisms are essential: there is a daily dialogue about proven or suspected attacks. Banks also cooperate with authorities (ANSSI and specialized police services).
Are French Banks Well Protected Against Cybersecurity Risks?
I prefer to say that we deploy all necessary technical and human resources to manage the cybersecurity risk. We must remain vigilant, as the technology and scale of attacks are constantly increasing.
Note: ANSSI is the French National Cybersecurity Agency.