Technological Security in Financial Companies in an Era of Uncertainty and Threats

Technological Security in Financial Companies in an Era of Uncertainty and Threats

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By Oscar Barone, CEO of Conciliac

Imagine a bank that, overnight, has its operations brought to a standstill. A devastating cyberattack has compromised its cloud infrastructure, putting millions of customers’ data at risk. This is not fiction—it is the reality that many financial institutions have faced in recent years. In a world where data security is the new currency, organizations must rethink their technological architecture and strike the balance between scalability and protection.

The European Union has taken a step forward with the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), a regulation that requires financial institutions to ensure the security and continuity of their operations against cyber threats. But Europe is not alone in this race for security. In the United States, the SEC has strengthened its cybersecurity reporting and incident management requirements. In Latin America, Brazil’s LGPD and Mexico’s Fintech Law impose strict data protection obligations. In Asia, China and Singapore have established rigorous regulatory frameworks that require companies to adopt stricter data protection measures. The message is clear: technological security is no longer optional—it is an obligation.

While the cloud offers flexibility, it also exposes companies to significant risks. Relying exclusively on external providers is like trusting a neighbor to keep your house key—it may be convenient, but it is also dangerous. The solution lies in hybrid architecture, where critical processing remains on-premises while cloud capabilities are leveraged for analytics and reporting. This approach allows companies to maintain full control over sensitive data, ensuring stronger compliance with regulations such as DORA. Security is reinforced through private infrastructure protected by VPNs and dedicated firewalls, while contingency plans become more efficient with local backup systems.

This is where a data management platform with an on-premises or hybrid approach makes all the difference. It not only ensures greater sovereignty over information but also guarantees that the most critical data remains under absolute control. Unlike fully cloud-based solutions, where security and access depend on an external provider, a hybrid platform allows organizations to design an ecosystem where information is processed and stored locally, reducing the attack surface. It is the difference between having a reinforced vault inside your company and relying on a third party to safeguard your most valuable assets.

Beyond data control, implementing advanced security solutions becomes more efficient when local infrastructure is combined with real-time monitoring, strict access policies, and network segmentation. Threats can be detected and neutralized before they compromise operations. The integration of artificial intelligence adds another layer of protection, automating responses to cyberattacks and anomalies without sacrificing performance.

The question is not if a cyberattack will happen, but when. From ransomware to denial-of-service attacks, financial institutions must assume that at some point, they will face a crisis. Continuous backups on local servers, disaster recovery plans with geographic redundancy, AI-powered monitoring, and dedicated incident response teams become essential elements of a resilient security strategy.

Artificial intelligence is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can predict and prevent cyberattacks, identifying abnormal patterns and strengthening system security. On the other, it is also being used by attackers to develop more sophisticated malware and targeted breaches. The key lies in leveraging AI to enhance security without depending exclusively on it.

Financial companies must ask themselves a fundamental question: what matters more—convenience or security? The cloud is useful, but it is not infallible. The future of financial technology does not lie in absolute dependence on third parties but in the intelligent combination of resources. Because at the end of the day, there is no better place to protect data than at home.