Uganda Bankers’ Association (UBA), in partnership with Visa, hosted a strategic cybersecurity workshop aimed at strengthening the financial sector’s defenses against increasingly sophisticated cybercrime.
Under the theme, “Cyber Threats, Smarter Defenses: Strengthening Uganda’s Fight Against Cyber Crime,” the workshop was a direct response to the escalating cyber threats targeting financial institutions and their customers in Uganda. These threats, fueled by advanced social engineering, digital tools, and insider access, require a coordinated, well-informed, and proactive approach that goes beyond traditional security measures.
The workshop brought together a diverse and high-level audience, including heads of risk, fraud, cybersecurity, and IT from UBA member Institutions, payment service providers, financial sector regulators, law enforcement, and international experts from VISA. This cross-sector collaboration is essential for building a unified front against cybercriminals.
“Cybercrime is a shared threat that demands shared attention,” said Mr. Wilbrod Humphreys Owor, UBA’s Executive Director. “This workshop provided a vital platform for our industry to share intelligence, learn from real-life cases, and develop practical defense strategies. By working together, we can secure our systems and safeguard the trust of our customers.”
Chad Pollock, General Manager and Vice President, Visa East Africa, said, “At Visa, we believe that trust is the foundation of digital commerce. Strengthening cybersecurity across the financial ecosystem is not just a technical imperative; it’s a business and societal one. This workshop reflects our commitment to working hand-in-hand with partners like UBA to build resilience, share intelligence, and empower institutions to stay ahead of emerging threats.”
Key topics that were explored:
- The global cyber threat landscape: Examined international trends and lessons on resilience and incident response for Uganda’s financial sector.
- Cyber tactics and threat actors: A deep dive into prevalent fraud vectors like SIM swaps and phishing, with insights from national cybercrime response teams.
- Cyber defenses in action: Showcased how institutions were deploying AI, real-time analytics, and advanced authentication tools to detect and disrupt threats.
- From breach to prosecution: A critical discussion on the legal aspects of cybercrime, including the capacity of courts to handle digital evidence.
The participants left the workshop with an improved understanding of advanced risk mitigation techniques, strengthened fraud management capacity, and clear action points for enhancing their institutional cybersecurity resilience.
The cybersecurity workshop was a pivotal step towards fortifying Uganda’s financial ecosystem against digital attacks. It underscored the commitment of the UBA and its partners to fostering a secure and trustworthy environment for all financial services.
