The National Institute of Banking and Finance (NIBAF) Pakistan held a focused training session on cybersecurity for officers of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on July 22, 2025, at its Karachi campus. The session is part of NIBAF’s ongoing efforts to enhance the digital resilience of Pakistan’s banking sector amid growing cyber threats and rapidly evolving digital infrastructures.
The training was led by cybersecurity expert Ms. Mehwish Enam, who brought her industry experience and strategic knowledge to the forefront during the session. Participants included officers from various departments of the State Bank, reflecting the central bank’s proactive approach to internal digital risk mitigation and secure banking operations.
Cybersecurity continues to be one of the most pressing concerns in the financial ecosystem, especially as central banks and financial institutions expand their digital footprints. With cyberattacks becoming increasingly sophisticated, there is a growing need for continual awareness, updated threat intelligence, and robust protection mechanisms within core banking structures. The NIBAF session addressed these areas with a strong focus on actionable strategies and up-to-date defensive frameworks.
Held at the Karachi campus of NIBAF, the training focused on core areas such as digital defense strategies, recognition and mitigation of cyber threats, secure system access practices, and the importance of a layered cybersecurity approach. The session also highlighted recent trends in banking-sector breaches globally and discussed the necessary institutional preparedness required to mitigate similar risks in Pakistan.
Ms. Mehwish Enam provided valuable insight into the practical aspects of cybersecurity, including threat modeling, breach response protocols, and secure digital banking environments. Her training covered both technical and operational aspects of cyber defense, tailored to the specific needs and challenges faced by SBP officers in their day-to-day digital functions.
NIBAF, as the training arm of the State Bank of Pakistan, has been increasingly involved in upskilling professionals in the areas of financial technology, digital transformation, and compliance. This cybersecurity initiative reinforces NIBAF’s role in nurturing a future-ready financial workforce capable of securing digital assets and sensitive financial data across the national banking landscape.
The session was well-received by participants, who acknowledged the growing urgency for such specialized trainings given the evolving cyber landscape. With data security becoming a cornerstone of modern banking, institutional learning and awareness at this level is expected to play a critical role in shaping secure banking operations and policies going forward.
As digitalization accelerates across the financial sector, regular trainings like this are instrumental in creating a robust line of defense against cyber intrusions, fraud, and systemic digital vulnerabilities. NIBAF’s commitment to building a digitally secure financial environment positions it as a key player in Pakistan’s broader strategy toward safe and sustainable digital banking growth.