Standard Chartered Pakistan has launched the ‘Cyber Shield 2025’ awareness program as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen organizational cybersecurity and cultivate a deeper understanding of risk across its operations. The onsite initiative is being carried out in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, reflecting a nationwide commitment to cyber resilience within the bank. With a focus on internal culture, preparedness, and informed behaviors, the program is a joint initiative by the first and second lines of defense, actively involving the CISO Kashif L., Director OTCR Basim Ali, Country Head Operational and Technology Risk Muhammad Rizwan Baig, and CFCR Data Protection Officer Shoaib Masood.
The sessions are structured to provide an in-depth understanding of current cyber threats, data protection frameworks, and internal risk management strategies. They are aimed at embedding cyber awareness into the everyday operational culture of the bank. Key areas include introduction to ICS and the CISO organization’s objectives, fundamentals of cybersecurity best practices, risk culture development through the Culture Quotient model, and insider risk behavior reinforcement. These themes are being delivered to employees across multiple departments, fostering a more unified and responsive cybersecurity posture within the institution.
Global cybersecurity trends from 2025 underline the importance of these internal training efforts. More than 85 percent of organizations have experienced phishing attacks this year alone, with increasing sophistication making detection and prevention more difficult. Additionally, over 2,000 major data breaches have been recorded globally in 2025, compromising billions of records. These incidents not only cause financial damage but also have severe implications for organizational reputation and customer trust. Within this context, the program emphasizes a proactive stance on data loss prevention and breach response readiness.
Insider threats remain a critical area of concern, accounting for nearly 40 percent of data breach incidents. By including insider risk behavior training as a core component of the awareness sessions, the bank aims to minimize internal vulnerabilities that can lead to unintentional or deliberate security failures. Discussions around behavioral reinforcement strategies reflect the bank’s recognition of human factors as a key element in its cybersecurity framework.
The Cyber Shield 2025 awareness initiative is being supported and guided by senior leadership, including Rehan Shaikh and Ajanthan Sivathas, whose involvement has provided strategic mentorship. The broader Country Management Team has also played a central role through active sponsorship, helping to align this cybersecurity drive with the bank’s overall risk management strategy.
Standard Chartered’s approach reinforces the importance of banking institutions embedding cybersecurity into their operational workflows and internal culture. Through structured awareness programs, employees at all levels are being equipped with the knowledge and practices required to identify threats, respond effectively to incidents, and contribute to a more resilient financial ecosystem. The bank has confirmed that sessions will continue across its locations, with further updates expected as the initiative progresses.
