COVER story the conversation beyond the security team and into the business, because resilience is ultimately about critical services, dependencies and tolerances for disruption. Our approach connects incident response, business continuity and recovery into a single view rather than three separate documents. We identify what we must keep running, understand what it depends on, and plan for degraded operation as well as full restoration. Recovery capability receives particular attention, as the ability to restore trusted data and services in a controlled manner is what ultimately limits the impact of a serious event. Plans are only as good as their last test, so we exercise them regularly, including with senior leadership, because decisionmaking under pressure is a skill that needs practice. The goal is not to eliminate disruption, which no institution can promise, but to ensure that when something does happen the response is calm, rehearsed and coordinated, and that customers see continuity rather than confusion.
Banks rely on an extensive ecosystem of fintech partners and service providers. How do you manage thirdparty cyber risk while continuing to innovate and collaborate with external partners?
Modern banking is delivered through an ecosystem, and that ecosystem is a genuine source of value. The objective is not to slow it down but to engage with it knowingly. We assess partners in proportion to the risk they carry rather than applying identical scrutiny to everyone, which allows attention to concentrate where the exposure is greatest. Assessment continues beyond onboarding, since risk profiles change as relationships and services evolve. Contractual clarity matters, particularly on security expectations, incident notification and the right to assurance. Concentration risk deserves more attention than it usually receives; understanding where several services depend on a common provider is often as important as assessing any single one. Practically, the most effective control is early conversation. When security is involved at the point a partnership is being considered, risks are designed out cheaply rather than discovered expensively later. Collaboration and control are not tense when the relationship is well governed from the start.
Cybersecurity is as much about people as technology. How are you building a strong security culture across the organisation, and what skills do you believe will be most critical for the next generation of cybersecurity professionals?
Technology sets the floor, but people determine the outcome. A strong culture is one where security feels like a shared responsibility rather than something imposed by a specialist function, and where raising a concern is straightforward and welcomed. We invest in awareness that is practical and relevant, we make reporting easy, and we treat someone who reports a mistake as an asset rather than a problem, because early reporting is what limits impact. Tone from the top matters, and so does the tone of the security team itself; a function seen as a partner will be involved early, while one seen as an obstacle will be avoided. On skills, technical depth remains essential, but the differentiators for the next generation are business literacy, communication and judgement. The ability to explain risk to a non-technical audience and to make sound decisions with incomplete information is increasingly what distinguishes an effective security professional. Building that capability takes time, which is why we treat development of our people as a long-term investment rather than a training obligation.
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