Cyber Risk in Finance and Banking Across EMEA

From mobile banking and cloud services to AI automation and cryptocurrencies, European, African and Middle Eastern banks are embracing technology at pace, reshaping operations, customer engagement and competitive positioning. But every new innovation expands the attack surface, giving cybercriminals, hacktivists and even nation-states new pathways to exploit. 

There’s no question that the finance and banking sector is a lucrative and data-rich target for cybercriminals. It comes as little surprise, then, that it is the second most targeted industry for cyberattacks across Europe, accounting for 18% of incidents in key industries.

The rise in cyber threats highlights that financial institutions must do more than just protect themselves; they must also defend the stability of the entire financial system. While increased investment in technology is paving the way for stronger defenses and faster threat detection, it is investment in people, their skills and their awareness and behaviour that ultimately determines an organisation’s true resilience against cyberattacks.