Bank of Kigali PLC received the ISO 27001:2013 certificate for meeting international standards in processing and storage of the information assets as required by the framework for Information Security Management System (ISMS). This was announced by the lender on Tuesday, 18th August 2020. In simple terms, ISO 27001 ISMS is an information security management standard that provides organizations of any size and industry a framework for securing and protecting confidential and sensitive data. The certification, according to BK, affirms that its systems are cyber resilient and protects the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information assets from all threats in relation to the processing, transmitting and storing sensitive information. According to Dr. Diane Karusisi, Bank of Kigali CEO, the development puts her institution in a good position to ensure that customer data is fully protected hence avoiding threats of cyber breaches. “This certification is a statement of our commitment towards our customers to increase their satisfaction. We are dedicated to continuing working hard to ensure the safety of our customers’ data, put extra effort to improve digital transactional channels thus help our clients feel safe to bank with us,” she said. Additionally, she pointed out that the ISO certification comes at a time when Bank of Kigali and the entire financial sector are embarking on rolling out digital services and financial technology which could be compromised by cybersecurity threats. In addition to that, Jean-Luc Minega, Head of Information Security at Bank of Kigali told The New Times that the certification is an indication that the bank’s ICT infrastructure and information are protected and administered according to the accepted international standards. This, Minega explained, includes all policies, procedures and processes relevant to how the bank’s information assets are controlled and used. Reflecting on the certification, Innocent Muhizi, the Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA), believes that the development will among others boost customers confidence as well as stakeholders hence a big milestone. He said that; “to get certification like this, is proof that the bank has gone an extra mile to ensure that all clients’ sensitive data is protected.”
