The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has announced the establishment of the Banking Sector Cybersecurity Operations Centre (BS-SOC), a new initiative aimed at enhancing the resilience of the nation’s banking sector against sophisticated cyber threats.
The BS-SOC is a key component of the CBK’s Strategic Plan 2023-2027 and is being implemented in line with the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime (Critical Information Infrastructure and Cybersecurity) Regulations, 2023. Currently operating under the CBK’s Cyber Fusion Unit, the center will provide critical services including Cyber Threat Intelligence, Incident Response, Digital Forensics, and Cyber Investigations.
In a proactive move to ensure compliance, the CBK has also initiated the process of aligning the Commercial Banks Cybersecurity Guidelines 2017 and the Financial Sector Cybersecurity Community guidelines with the new 2023 regulations. All financial sector players are reminded of their mandate to comply with these requirements and report any cybersecurity incidents to the BS-SOC within the stipulated timelines.
The CBK emphasized that the success of this initiative hinges on the full collaboration and cooperation of all stakeholders. This partnership is deemed imperative to fortify the banking sector against persistent challenges posed by cyber threats.