Digital transformation in banking began following the creation of the internet in the 1990s as a way for banks to deliver services to their customers more conveniently. Today, it has completely changed how most people interact with their banks. From opening a new account to making transactions and applying for loans, you can access all banking services directly from your computer or smartphone.
As both consumer and commercial banking clients shift to primarily utilize online banking, they still have high expectations that their financial assets will be secure. In 2021, the banking industry reported 703 cyberattack attempts per week — a 53% increase from 2020. And the cost of cyberattacks in the industry has reached $18.3 million annually per breach.
The banking and financial sector is known for its dependence on third-party vendors that help provide customers with quality financial products and services. It is one of the most interconnected sectors, making it one of the most vulnerable to cyberattacks. And because third parties operate through the banks they are contracted with, any losses are the bank's responsibility.
It might seem like ‘the cloud’ has well and truly established itself as the de facto deployment choice. However, the market for cloud computing is still expected to grow – a lot – in the coming years (from $371.4 billion in 2020 to $832.1 billion in 2025). How can this much growth still be possible for a fairly mature market?
The value of digital payment transactions is growing as the world's payment environment moves more and more away from cash. Over the past few years, BFSI (Banking, Financial Service, and Insurance) firms have continued to be a top target for hackers. In fact, the Sixth Annual Bank Survey found that more than 70% of fintech companies named information security as their top issue.
Globally, fintech firms saw 2.5 times more attacks in Q1 2022. The BFSI industry is prone to cyberattacks every day. Fintech firms carry some vital data. Cybercriminals know it. They aim to exploit your system’s flaw to access the data. The worst part is they will use it for financial fraud. A successful data breach causes penalties and reputation losses. It scares away your customers. It is even motivating cybersecurity in Fintech. How do you make a secure financial platform?
The financial industry is no stranger to data breaches. Financial institutions have access to millions of personally identifiable information (PII) records, which they must secure to the highest standard. The value of this data is open knowledge – hackers will actively search for existing cybersecurity weaknesses to gain unauthorized access to customers’ financial information.
The risk of a data breach is exceptionally high for financial organizations. Hackers recognize the high value financial data has on the dark web. Other cybercriminals pay significant amounts to get their hands on customers’ personally identifiable information (PII) and commit lucrative cybercrimes, like identity theft and insurance fraud. One of the most common ways cybercriminals gain access to this data is by exploiting data leaks.
According to our most recent State of Software Security Report, the financial services industry has fewer security flaws in its applications than last year. Great news, right? That said, the reduction in security flaws isn’t as significant as we would hope to see. The financial services industry has traditionally been recognized for having the least amount of security flaws.
