HARRISBURG, Pa.—The Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities has formed a cybersecurity task force to help FIs under the department’s supervision address cybersecurity issues.
Secretary of Banking and Securities Robin L. Wiessmann said the move was made to help ensure the integrity of Pennsylvania's financial marketplace.
The task force is comprised of Department of Banking and Securities regulatory staff, along with department legal and information technology staff.
"As cybersecurity threats to businesses and institutions continue and increase, the need for the financial services industry to implement effective cybersecurity measures is more pressing than ever," stated Wiessmann in a release. "At the Department of Banking and Securities, we are pleased to be one of the first state financial regulators to create a task force whose mission is focused on promoting cybersecurity awareness and identifying cybersecurity trends, developments, and best practices."
Among the resources the task force is highlighting are a self-assessment tool issued by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council, an interagency body of financial services regulators, and the Securities and Exchange Commission's Sample Request for Information and Documents. These and other resources are available on a new section of the department's website dedicated to cybersecurity that can be found here: dobs.pa.gov (click on Businesses/Cybersecurity).
"In addition to implementing technical measures, businesses should recognize that the weakest links in a secure system may be an employee, a vendor, or even a customer," Wiessmann also stated. "Businesses should train and evaluate their staff and vendors, and educate their customers, to ensure that they understand the risks presented by cybersecurity threats."
The department said its efforts are an extension of the Pennsylvania state government's effort to protect the security of its digital resources by reducing vulnerability to cyberattacks, minimizing damage and recovery if a cyberattack occurs, and promoting awareness and education to businesses and consumers of the threats of cyberattacks.