M26072 – Cybersecurity for Financial Data (Online)
Registration Time: 09:00
Session Time: 09:15 – 12:30 including a 15-minute break
Speakers: Mr Sandro Psaila & Ms Allaine Pascual
Venue: Online Webinar
Participation Fees
MIA Members: €40.00 | Non-MIA Members: €75.00 | Retired Members: €20.00 | Students: €30.00
Group bookings for 3 or more participants available.
Background Information
Financial data is one of the most attractive targets for cybercriminals. As finance teams increasingly rely on cloud platforms, digital workflows, third-party providers and AI-enabled tools, cybersecurity risk is now firmly a finance and governance issue. Regulators, auditors and boards expect finance professionals to understand how cyber risk affects financial reporting, compliance and business resilience.
The upcoming session on cybersecurity for financial data, scheduled for 21 July, highlights a critical shift in how organisations must approach cyber risk. As explored through this CPE session, cybersecurity is no longer confined to IT departments but has become a core finance and governance issue, with direct implications for financial reporting, compliance, and overall organisational resilience.
The growing digitalisation of business processes has fundamentally reshaped the risk landscape, bringing cybersecurity firmly into focus for finance professionals. As finance functions become more reliant on cloud-based systems, digital workflows, third-party providers and AI-enabled tools, the exposure of organisations to cyber threats has increased significantly. Financial data, by its very nature, represents a high-value target, and the sophistication of cyber threats continues to evolve, ranging from phishing and business email compromise to ransomware and AI-driven fraud.
As a result, expectations placed on finance professionals have expanded considerably. Regulators, auditors and boards now expect finance teams to understand how cyber risk intersects with financial reporting, internal controls and regulatory obligations. This shift highlights the need for a more integrated approach to risk management, one that combines financial and technological considerations within governance frameworks.
The implications of cyber incidents for financial reporting are particularly significant. Breaches can compromise the integrity and availability of financial data, disrupt transaction processing and weaken internal control environments. In turn, this can lead to compliance breaches, increased regulatory scrutiny and potential financial penalties. Beyond these consequences, cyber incidents can also undermine stakeholder confidence and disrupt business operations, amplifying their overall impact.
Within this context, cybersecurity is widely recognised as a key component of business resilience. Organisations are expected not only to prevent cyber incidents but also to detect, respond to and recover from them effectively. This requires a coordinated approach involving finance, IT, risk and compliance functions, supported by robust governance structures and clearly defined responsibilities.
In practice, this means embedding cybersecurity considerations within financial processes and controls. Areas such as access management, segregation of duties and payment controls form part of a broader control environment that supports both financial integrity and cyber resilience. Similarly, the management of third-party relationships is gaining importance, as organisations seek to address risks arising from interconnected digital ecosystems.
Ultimately, the message is clear: cybersecurity can no longer be viewed as a standalone IT concern. It is intrinsically linked to the way organisations manage financial data, comply with regulatory requirements and safeguard their long-term sustainability. As digital transformation continues to accelerate, finance professionals have a pivotal role to play in ensuring that cyber risks are understood, managed and embedded within the broader governance framework.
Topics Covered
– Why financial data is a prime cyber target
– Phishing, Business Email Compromise (BEC), ransomware and insider threats
– AI-enabled fraud, deepfakes and emerging cyber risks
– Core cybersecurity controls for finance teams
– Access management, segregation of duties and payment controls
– Regulatory and audit expectations (GDPR, DORA, NIS2, SOX, SOC reports, PCI DSS)
– Incident response and regulatory notification requirements
– Third-party and supply chain cyber risk
– Building a cyber resilient finance function
Target Audience: CFOs, Finance Directors, Financial Controllers, accountants, auditors, risk/compliance/governance professionals, board and audit committee members.
CPE Competencies: 3 Professional
Register: https://members.miamalta.org/event-6673771/Registration
Event page: https://members.miamalta.org/event-6673771