CBK Launches Banking Sector Cybersecurity Operations Centre to Strengthen Financial Sector Defences
The centre forms a key part of the implementation of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime (Critical Information Infrastructure and Cybercrime Management) Regulations, 2024, and aligns with the CBK Strategic Plan 2024-2027.
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK ) has officially established the Banking Sector Cybersecurity Operations Centre (BS-SOC), a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening the resilience of Kenya’s banking sector against evolving cyber threats.
The BS-SOC operates under CBK’s Cyber Fusion Unit and is designed to provide critical services including Cyber Threat Intelligence, Incident Response, Digital Forensics, and Cyber Investigations. The centre forms a key part of the implementation of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime (Critical Information Infrastructure and Cybercrime Management) Regulations, 2024, and aligns with the CBK Strategic Plan 2024-2027.
CBK highlighted the ongoing need to harmonise regulatory frameworks, noting efforts to align the Commercial Banks Cybersecurity Guidelines 2017 and the Payment Service Providers Cybersecurity Guidelines 2019 with the new 2024 regulations. In the interim, all regulated institutions are required to comply with both existing and new cybersecurity requirements and report incidents to the BS-SOC within the stipulated timelines.
“The successful implementation of the BS-SOC requires full collaboration and cooperation from all stakeholders. This partnership is critical to enhance the banking sector’s resilience against sophisticated cyber threat actors,” the Central Bank said in a statement.
