The visit, which concluded recently, focused on the CBE's Cybersecurity Sector and its Egyptian Financial Computer Incident Response Team (EG-FinCIRT), a leading regional model for cybersecurity in Africa and the Middle East.
The five-member delegation, from the CBK's Banking Sector
Security Operations Center (BS-SOC), sought to learn from Egypt's experience in
building and operating its incident response center.
Dr. Sherif Hazem, the CBE's sub-governor for the
Cybersecurity Sector, said the visit reflects the bank's growing leadership in
the field. He noted that the CBE's experience is valuable to African central
banks facing escalating global cyber threats.
Dr. Ibrahim Moustafa, assistant sub-governor and head of
EG-FinCIRT, highlighted the center's role as a regional model for cybersecurity
strategies. He emphasized its importance in coordinating with technical teams
regionally and internationally to combat cyberattacks that increasingly
threaten national economies.
The visit covered strategies for detecting and handling
threats, the latest security breach methods in financial technology, and global
standards for financial institutions. Discussions also included the mechanisms
for issuing permits for fintech applications and technical solutions,
supporting secure digital transformation.
The CBK is currently developing a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy for Kenya, inspired by the CBE's model. This includes plans to establish a specialized center for cybersecurity incidents and create a regulatory framework to continuously improve cybersecurity controls.