Banks, payment providers, and fintechs increasingly depend on third-party vendors for everything from cloud infrastructure to cybersecurity tools. But as reliance grows, so does the risk surface . Regulators are making it clear: outsourcing does not mean offloading accountability. Hidden Risks in Vendor Relationships Concentration Risk – Too much reliance on a single cloud or IT service provider. Data Security Gaps – Vendors mishandling sensitive customer data or failing to meet security baselines. Operational Disruptions – Outages, supply chain failures, or misconfigurations impacting business continuity. Compliance Blind Spots – Vendors failing to meet AML, GDPR, or local regulatory requirements. Fourth-Party Risks – The hidden vendors your vendors rely on, often overlooked. What Regulators Expect in 2025 Enhanced Due Diligence – More rigorous risk assessments before onboarding vendors. Ongoing Monitoring – Continuous oversight, not just annual review...
Cybersecurity has always been an arms race. But with the rise of generative AI , we’ve entered a new era where machines fight machines . Attackers are no longer just hackers behind screens, they’re training AI models to craft phishing campaigns, write malware, and bypass defenses faster than ever. Offensive AI in Action Automated Phishing : Hyper-personalized emails that look indistinguishably real. Malware-as-a-Service : Code generated on demand, polymorphic and harder to detect. Deepfakes & Social Engineering : Fake voices and videos weaponized for fraud and manipulation. Defensive AI Strikes Back Luckily, defenders aren’t standing still. Generative AI is powering: AI-Driven SOCs : Automating incident response and threat hunting. Behavioral Analytics : Identifying anomalies that humans and rules can’t catch. Predictive Defense : Anticipating attacks before they happen with AI-powered simulations. The Trust Dilemma Here’s the paradox: AI makes security s...