Superintendency calls to optimize and update bank surveillance to prevent data theft 

The Superintendency of Banks held the first Cybersecurity Supervision Congress: resilience and trust in the financial sector, where it emphasized the importance of optimizing surveillance systems and data protection in the banking system. With the participation of representatives from the supervised entities, national and international cybersecurity experts highlighted that the protection of data and systems by financial institutions must be a constant effort to mitigate risks.

Experts agreed that preparation is crucial to reduce the impact of technological incidents. “You have to be constantly testing and analyzing to avoid surprises and be prepared,” said James Pichardo, Director of Information Security at SB, during his conference From Testing to Strengthening: The Role of Continuous Validation in Financial Resilience. 

For Pichardo, this strategy of testing and constant surveillance is particularly relevant in a context where attack techniques are developing rapidly. He added that, although the regulations and protocols established to mitigate risks are met, the vulnerability to cybercrime should not be underestimated. From his side, Stephen Fallas, leader of the international security platform Trellix, explained that the strategic approach based on resilience consists of resisting, adapting, and recovering technological infrastructures in the face of situations that may compromise their integrity. When presenting the paper Compliance and Resilience: Learning from the Past to Build the Future, the Costa Rican expert recommended that the different defense structures of the critical assets that can be attacked should be interconnected, so that a coordinated and automated response can be provided. The congress continued with the panel Resilience and trust in the financial sector, with the participation of Pichardo, Fallas and de Diego LaVerde, vice president of the Information Security Area of Banco Popular, moderated by Yulianna Ramón, submanager of Regulation and Innovation of the SB. Next, Juan Daniel Pujols, Deputy Director of Information Security at the SB, presented an overview of the cybercrime situation against intermediation entities. financial.  He cited that the World Economic Forum, in its Global Risks Report 2025, positions technological risks, including information security incidents, among the most important globally in the next two years. “When we take it specifically to the financial sector, studies project that the average cost of a banking security breach in 2025 amounts to approximately US$ 6 million per incident,” he expressed. In other news, while pronouncing a few brief words, José Guillermo López, Deputy Manager of Supervision of the SB, highlighted the commitment of this institution to strengthen the security, trust, and resilience of the Dominican financial system in an increasingly digital and challenging environment. Likewise, at the close of the activity, the head of Banks, Julio Caminero, encouraged the representatives of the IFIs to continue strengthening their structures to face the threats.