In line with an initiative supported by the Bank's Council, JSC "AloqaBank" held a professional event dedicated to information and cybersecurity, and to strengthening the resilience of the financial sector against modern cyber threats.
The event featured cybersecurity and technology speaker Asim Khwaja, author of a book on the convergence of artificial intelligence and quantum technology. Asim Khwaja participated solely in a personal capacity. All views expressed were his own and did not represent the views of his employer, any Government department or public body, or any other organisation.
The content of the masterclass was based exclusively on publicly available information, public case studies and recognised industry frameworks. No official or confidential information belonging to his employer or any third party was disclosed.
At the heart of the discussion was a simple but important idea: compliance was necessary, but it was not the same as protection. A bank could pass every audit and still fail to keep serving customers on its worst day. The event's focus was therefore on shifting from a "compliance lens" to a "resilience lens" — the ability of a bank to continue operating, make decisions, and recover under stress.
Key topics include:
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why a cyber incident at a bank becomes a trust event within minutes;
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lessons from major public incidents in recent years for the financial sector;
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risks linked to third-party suppliers and technology concentration;
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the next horizon of challenges — AI used by both attackers and defenders, and preparing for the post-quantum era;
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five questions every bank's board should be asking about cyber resilience.
The event was aimed at exchanging practical experience between representatives of financial institutions, discussing current challenges in information security and cyber risk management, strengthening the resilience of critical financial infrastructure, and reviewing approaches to building an effective information security system based on international best practices.
The event brought together representatives of the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan and specialists from commercial banks for professional learning and knowledge-sharing.
