Banking Cybersecurity Course

Lesson 1 • The Banking Security Ecosystem

Defines the scope of banking security across physical, digital, and operational domains. Provides the conceptual map used throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Security Governance Structures

Explains how banks organise security oversight through committees, policies, and roles. Establishes accountability frameworks referenced in advanced chapters.

Lesson 3 • Regulatory and Compliance Foundations

Introduces the regulatory frameworks governing bank security without referencing specific codes. Students map compliance obligations to operational controls.

Lesson 4 • Threat Landscape Overview

Surveys internal and external threats targeting banks today. Connects threat categories to real-world incidents for context.

Lesson 1 • Branch Security Assessment

Applies physical security principles to branch vulnerability assessments. Students produce a structured assessment report as a practical output.

Lesson 2 • Vault and Cash Handling Security

Details security requirements for vaults, ATMs, and cash-in-transit operations. Addresses the highest-value physical targets in a bank.

Lesson 3 • Surveillance and Alarm Systems

Examines CCTV placement, alarm integration, and monitoring centre operations. Connects surveillance data to incident investigation workflows.

Lesson 4 • Physical Security Principles

Introduces deterrence, detection, delay, and response as the pillars of physical security. Anchors all subsequent physical controls to these principles.

Lesson 1 • Privacy Obligations and Data Governance

Addresses customer privacy rights, consent management, and data retention requirements in banking. Students align data governance practices with regulatory expectations.

Lesson 2 • Data Classification in Banking

Establishes how banks categorise data by sensitivity and regulatory requirement. Classification decisions drive all downstream data protection controls.

Lesson 3 • Encryption and Key Management

Covers symmetric and asymmetric encryption, TLS, and key lifecycle management for banking systems. Students select appropriate encryption for data at rest and in transit.

Lesson 4 • Data Loss Prevention

Introduces DLP tools, endpoint controls, and email filtering to prevent unauthorised data exfiltration. Connects to classification and IAM controls already established.

Lesson 1 • Security Operations Centre Functions

Introduces SOC roles, SIEM platforms, and alert triage workflows in a banking context. Students understand how continuous monitoring supports threat detection.

Lesson 2 • Core Banking Application Security

Examines secure development, patch management, and API security for core banking platforms. Students assess application attack surfaces specific to financial systems.

Lesson 3 • Banking Network Security Architecture

Covers segmentation, DMZ design, and secure connectivity for banking networks. Establishes the network baseline that application and endpoint security build upon.

Lesson 4 • Endpoint and Mobile Security

Addresses security controls for bank workstations, mobile devices, and point-of-sale terminals. Covers mobile banking app security from both bank and customer perspectives.

Lesson 1 • Fraud Loss Measurement and Reporting

Covers fraud loss metrics, regulatory reporting obligations, and board-level fraud dashboards. Connects fraud data to risk appetite and governance frameworks.

Lesson 2 • Fraud Typology in Banking

Catalogues payment, identity, and account fraud schemes targeting banks and customers. Provides the classification framework used in detection and investigation chapters.

Lesson 3 • Fraud Investigation Procedures

Teaches structured investigation workflows, evidence collection, and case documentation for fraud. Students practice applying investigative steps to realistic scenarios.

Lesson 4 • Transaction Monitoring Systems

Covers rule-based and machine-learning transaction monitoring for fraud detection. Students configure alert thresholds and evaluate model performance.

Lesson 1 • Money Laundering Mechanics

Explains placement, layering, and integration stages with banking-specific examples. Grounds AML controls in a clear understanding of criminal methodology.

Lesson 2 • Suspicious Activity Reporting

Teaches the decision process, drafting standards, and filing procedures for suspicious activity reports. Students practice writing compliant, factual SAR narratives.

Lesson 3 • AML Transaction Monitoring

Applies transaction monitoring concepts from the fraud chapter to AML-specific scenarios. Students build and tune AML alert scenarios for high-risk typologies.

Lesson 4 • Sanctions Compliance and Screening

Covers sanctions list screening, false positive management, and escalation procedures. Students apply screening logic to customer and payment data.

Lesson 1 • Tabletop Exercises and Post-Incident Review

Guides students through designing and facilitating tabletop exercises and post-incident reviews. Closes the improvement loop by translating lessons into updated controls.

Lesson 2 • Cyber Incident Detection and Containment

Covers detection signals, initial triage, and containment strategies for banking cyber incidents. Builds on SOC monitoring skills from the cybersecurity chapter.

Lesson 3 • Incident Response Framework

Establishes the phases of incident response—preparation, detection, containment, eradication, and recovery. Provides the operational structure for all subsequent incident topics.

Lesson 4 • Digital Forensics for Banking

Introduces forensic acquisition, chain of custody, and analysis techniques relevant to banking incidents. Students apply forensic principles to simulated banking breach scenarios.

Lesson 1 • Enterprise Security Risk Quantification

Applies quantitative risk methods to translate security threats into financial exposure estimates. Enables data-driven investment and prioritisation decisions.

Lesson 2 • Security Investment and Prioritisation

Covers cost-benefit analysis, control ROI, and portfolio prioritisation for security programs. Students allocate a simulated security budget across competing controls.

Lesson 3 • Third-Party and Supply Chain Risk

Addresses vendor risk assessment, contractual security requirements, and ongoing third-party monitoring. Extends the bank's security perimeter to its supplier ecosystem.

Lesson 4 • Security Strategy and Roadmap Development

Teaches how to build a multi-year security strategy aligned to business goals and risk appetite. Students draft a strategic roadmap with milestones and success metrics.