The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has launched the Banking Sector Cybersecurity Operations Centre (BS-SOC), a strategic hub designed to fortify Kenya’s financial system against escalating cyber threats.
The BS-SOC, hosted under CBK’s Cyber Fusion Unit, is part of the bank’s Strategic Plan 2024–2027 and aligns with the new Computer Misuse and Cybercrime (Critical Information Infrastructure and Cybercrime Management) Regulations, 2024. It will provide banks and payment service providers with advanced support in cyber threat intelligence, incident response, digital forensics, and cyber investigations
CBK acknowledged the mounting compliance pressures on financial institutions and confirmed it has begun harmonizing the Commercial Banks Cybersecurity Guidelines (2017) and Payment Service Providers Cybersecurity Guidelines (2019) with the latest cybercrime regulations. Until the alignment is complete, banks and payment firms are required to adhere to both frameworks simultaneously and report all cyber incidents directly to the BS-SOC within the mandated timelines
The regulator emphasized that the success of this initiative hinges on collaboration across the banking industry, as sophisticated cybercriminals increasingly target financial systems. CBK urged stakeholders to actively cooperate to ensure resilience and trust in the sector.
Launched on September 22, 2025, the centre marks a significant milestone in Kenya’s cybersecurity landscape, underscoring CBK’s intent to strengthen the country’s financial stability amid growing digital vulnerabilities.
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