• root
• March 01, 2024
• No Comments

In response to the rapid growth of online and mobile banking along with rising data breaches, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has taken decisive actions to bolster cybersecurity and compliance in the financial services industry. The RBI introduced the landmark 2016 Cyber Security Framework which set foundational information security controls and requirements for banks. Additionally, recent RBI guidelines have focused on strengthening compliance, risk management and governance practices industry-wide. These key regulations exemplify the RBI’s proactive push to reinforce cyber defence and regulatory conformity amidst an evolving digital finance sector that faces sophisticated cyber threats. By enacting strong cyber security protocols and compliance measures, the RBI aims to protect banks and promote stability as the use of digital financial services accelerates.

Cyber Security Framework (2016)

The Cyber Security Framework acts as guidance and also outlines regulatory requirements for scheduled commercial banks in India. 

Key elements:

• Banks must create a cybersecurity policy approved by the Board of Directors and communicate this to the RBI’s Cyber Security and IT Exam division (CSITE).

• Outlines critical controls and processes to achieve baseline cyber resilience such as data leakage prevention, access controls, patch management, awareness training, asset inventory, and vendor risk management.

• Requires banks to establish a Cyber Security Operations Center (C-SOC) for continuous monitoring and response.

• Introduces security incident reporting requirements – banks must notify RBI within 2-6 hours of an incident.

• Provides an incident reporting template covering chronological order of events, root cause analysis, targeted resolution date, etc.

Compliance Functions and Requirements (2020) 

The RBI outlined more extensive compliance requirements for banks including:

• Having a strong compliance culture and risk management program.
• Implementing an independent corporate compliance function.
• Creating a board-approved compliance policy spelling out compliance philosophy, and the role/responsibilities of the function.
• Monitoring and periodically testing compliance through audits/assessments.
• Reporting on compliance failures and breaches.
• Ensuring compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and code of conduct.

Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) Oversight:-

 Banks must appoint a Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) on a 3 year term to spearhead compliance. Eligibility criteria includes being a senior executive with minimum 15 years financial services experience.

The CCO has a direct reporting line to the Managing Director (MD)/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the Board Committee. Additionally, quarterly meetings are mandatorily held between the CCO and the audit committee without the presence of senior management. This facilitates transparent oversight.

Enhanced Internal Risk Audits 

In 2021, guidelines mandated that certain banks and NBFCs adopt more rigorous, risk-focused internal audits. These audits appraise inherent risks, internal control systems, cyber security and other areas. A quantitative and qualitative methodology is applied to thoroughly evaluate risk levels and trends across business activities. This allows for a targeted assessment of vulnerability areas in operations and technology. The enhanced audits intend to identify gaps, promote corrections and continually evaluate the efficacy of risk management protocols.

In summary, the RBI regulations aim to strengthen cyber security, compliance, risk management and governance in Indian banking. Tools like Endpoint Protector can aid bank compliance.