12 Cyber security Regulations for Financial Services

The financial industry is one of the most crucial targets of cyberattacks, and as a result, strict cyber security regulations for financial institutions are in place to safeguard the industry and its customers. Cyber security threats to the financial industry can result in massive financial losses, damage to the reputation of the financial institution, and loss of customer trust.

What is Financial Cybersecurity Compliance?

Financial cyber security compliance refers to the process of adhering to standards and regulatory requirements  designed to protect financial institutions from cyber threats.

Why is financial cyber compliance important?

Financial cybersecurity compliance is critical for ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of financial information and systems, and for protecting customers’ financial assets and personal information.

Financial cyber compliance is important for several reasons:

1. Protecting sensitive information: Financial institutions handle large amounts of sensitive information, such as customers’ personal and financial details, financial transactions, and other confidential data. Compliance with financial cyber security standards helps protect this information from theft, unauthorized access, and misuse.
2. Maintaining trust: Financial institutions must maintain the trust of their customers, investors, and other stakeholders. Compliance with financial cyber security standards shows that they take the security and privacy of their customers’ information seriously and are committed to protecting it.
3. Preventing financial losses: Cyber attacks can result in significant financial losses for financial institutions. Compliance with financial cyber security standards helps prevent these losses by reducing the risk of successful attacks and improving the ability to respond to incidents when they do occur.
4. Complying with regulations: Many countries have financial cyber security regulations that financial institutions must comply with. Failing to comply with these regulations can result in fines, legal action, and reputational damage.
5. Enhancing reputation: Compliance with financial cyber security standards can enhance the reputation of financial institutions and improve their standing in the eyes of customers, regulators, and other stakeholders.

Top 12 Cybersecurity Regulations for Financial Services

1. EU-GDPR
2. PCI DSS
3. ISO/IEC 27001
4. NIST
5. SOX
6. BSA
7. GLBA
8. FINRA
9. PSD 2
10. Bill C-11
11. OSFI Self Assessments
12. FFIEC

EU GDPR compliance for financial institutions

The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a regulation enacted by the European Union (EU) to strengthen and unify data protection for all individuals within the EU. Financial institutions must comply with GDPR in processing the personal data of EU citizens. This includes obtaining clear and affirmative consent, protecting personal data through appropriate technical and organizational measures, and allowing individuals to exercise their rights, such as the right to access and control their personal data. Failure to comply with GDPR can result in substantial fines.

Data processing under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) refers to any operation performed on personal data, such as collection, storage, use, alteration, or deletion. This covers a wide range of activities, including but not limited to:

1. Collection: Gathering personal data through forms, surveys, cookies, or other means.
2. Storage: Keeping personal data in a database, file, or other storage device.
3. Use: Analyzing, aggregating, or otherwise using personal data for a specific purpose, such as marketing or fraud prevention.
4. Alteration: Changing or updating personal data in response to new information or requests from individuals.
5. Deletion: Removing personal data in accordance with individuals’ rights or when it is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.

Examples of GDPR data processing activities in the context of financial services might include:

• Collecting and storing personal data, such as name, address, and financial information, to open a bank account
• Processing transactions, such as withdrawals and deposits, using personal data
• Using personal data to detect and prevent fraud, such as by analyzing patterns of behavior
• Sharing personal data with third-party service providers, such as credit bureaus or data analytics firms, for specific purposes

Under the GDPR, data processing must be carried out in accordance with the principles of data protection, such as transparency, fairness, and accountability, and in compliance with specific obligations, such as obtaining consent and ensuring the security of personal data.

PCI DSS Compliance

The role of PCI DSS in the finance sector is to provide a framework for ensuring the secure handling of sensitive cardholder information, such as credit card numbers and expiration dates. Financial services organizations that process credit card transactions must comply with the PCI DSS in order to reduce the risk of data breaches and protect sensitive information.

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) provides security for the following three primary stages of the cardholder data lifecycle, which are:

1. Cardholder data storage: This stage involves the storage of sensitive cardholder information, such as credit card numbers and expiration dates, by a financial services organization. PCI DSS requires that organizations implement appropriate security controls, such as encryption and access controls, to protect this data while it is stored.
2. Transmission of cardholder data: This stage involves the transmission of sensitive cardholder information over networks, such as the internet. PCI DSS requires that organizations implement secure transmission methods, such as SSL/TLS encryption, to protect the data in transit.
3. Processing of cardholder data: This stage involves the processing of sensitive cardholder information, such as authorization requests and transactions. PCI DSS requires that organizations implement appropriate security controls, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and access controls, to protect the data during processing.

ISO 27001 regulation certification for banking/financial sector

ISO/IEC 27001 is an international standard that outlines a framework for managing and protecting sensitive information, including financial information. This standard provides a systematic approach to managing sensitive information and includes a comprehensive set of information security controls.

ISO 27001 certification helps financial institutions to protect sensitive customer information, maintain customer trust, comply with regulations, improve risk management, and demonstrate due diligence in protecting information assets.

ISO 27001 certification is needed for the banking sector for several reasons, including:

1. Compliance with regulations: Financial institutions are subject to strict regulations, such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Payment Services Directive (PSD2), that require them to protect sensitive customer information. ISO 27001 certification demonstrates that a bank has implemented the necessary information security controls to comply with these regulations.
2. Protecting customer information: The banking sector handles vast amounts of sensitive customer information, such as financial transactions and personal details. ISO 27001 certification provides assurance to customers that their information is being protected and that the bank has implemented the necessary controls to prevent data breaches.
3. Maintaining trust: Trust is critical to the success of financial institutions. ISO 27001 certification helps to maintain customer trust by demonstrating the bank’s commitment to protecting sensitive information and providing a secure environment for financial transactions.
4. Improving risk management: ISO 27001 provides a systematic approach to managing information security risks, which helps financial institutions to identify and address potential security threats before they become a problem.
5. Demonstrating due diligence: Financial institutions have a duty to exercise due diligence in protecting customer information. ISO 27001 certification demonstrates to regulatory authorities, customers, and stakeholders that the bank has taken the necessary steps to protect sensitive information and meet its obligations under applicable regulations and laws.