Training course on Cybersecurity in Banking and Finance

Module 1: The Cybersecurity Landscape in Banking and Finance
Subtopics:
Overview of cyber threats targeting banks and financial institutions
Evolution of cybercrime in the digital financial ecosystem
Role of cybersecurity in protecting financial assets and customer trust
Common attack surfaces: ATMs, online banking, mobile apps, and payment gateways
Activity: Identify and analyze common cyber-attack vectors on banking systems
Case Study: Analysis of the Bangladesh Central Bank SWIFT Heist

Module 2: Financial Systems Architecture and Threat Vectors
Subtopics:
Understanding financial IT infrastructure and digital payment systems
Cyber risks in mobile and online banking applications
Insider threats and data exfiltration risks
Cloud adoption and security in banking environments
Activity: Threat mapping and risk identification for digital banking systems
Case Study: Capital One data breach — lessons in cloud security governance

Module 3: Cyber Risk Management and Compliance in Finance
Subtopics:
Regulatory and compliance standards: PCI DSS, ISO 27001, FFIEC, GDPR
Building a financial cyber risk management framework
Data protection and encryption standards for financial data
Incident response planning and business continuity management
Activity: Develop a mini risk register for a sample banking organization
Case Study: Equifax data breach — compliance failures and consequences

Module 4: Fraud Detection and Transaction Security
Subtopics:
Detecting and mitigating phishing, identity theft, and digital fraud
AI and machine learning applications in fraud detection
Securing digital transactions and online payment gateways
Authentication mechanisms and multifactor security in fintech
Activity: Build a conceptual fraud detection model using rule-based techniques
Case Study: PayPal’s machine learning approach to fraud prevention

Module 5: Incident Response, Cyber Resilience, and Future of Financial Security
Subtopics:
Cyber incident response in financial institutions
Building cyber resilience and disaster recovery frameworks
Emerging technologies: blockchain, AI, and quantum-safe encryption in finance
Cybersecurity governance and strategic leadership for financial institutions
Activity: Tabletop simulation — responding to a ransomware attack on a digital bank
Case Study: WannaCry ransomware impact on global financial operations
Capstone Activity
Participants will work in teams to develop a Cybersecurity Strategy Plan for a fictional bank, covering:
Risk assessment and prioritization
Fraud detection and mitigation strategy
Compliance checklist (PCI DSS / ISO 27001)
Incident response and resilience framework