Fiji central bank leads push for stronger national cyber resilience

Techday NZ

3 days ago

Borderless CS engaged in a strategic discussion with the Reserve Bank of Fiji regarding the nation's cybersecurity readiness in an effort to address the risks posed by rapid digital transformation.
The meeting involved Ariff Ali, Governor of the Reserve Bank of Fiji, along with Joel Abraham, a member of the Borderless CS Advisory Board, and Krishneel Kumar, Director of Cybersecurity Practices.
National resilience
The discussion centred on the importance of establishing robust digital resilience strategies within financial institutions and encouraging key decision-makers to prioritise the protection of Fiji's digital infrastructure. Governor Ariff Ali emphasised that, as the country's central financial authority, the Reserve Bank of Fiji must set the tone for cybersecurity preparedness. He underlined the need for collaboration between the public and private sectors to ensure effective risk management. He reiterated that cybersecurity must be embedded into economic planning, just like financial stability and inflation control. His remarks reflect a growing understanding among leaders that cybersecurity is a strategic pillar of national development.
The conversation highlighted the shift towards recognising cybersecurity as central to national economic strategy, not solely a technical concern delegated to IT departments. Policies and investments in this area, according to Ali, should come from the highest levels of executive leadership.
Fiji's digital landscape
Fiji is advancing rapidly in its adoption of digital technology, from mobile banking services and fintech applications to digital government initiatives. This digital transformation, while beneficial, has also increased exposure to a variety of cyber threats. Attacks such as phishing and ransomware have become more common, targeting banks, customers, and public sector systems. There are also challenges linked to outdated infrastructure, weak data protection laws, and a shortage of trained cybersecurity professionals.
Borderless CS highlighted the need for local solutions that draw upon international best practice while acknowledging Fiji's specific context. An effective response would require coordinated strategies, including better incident response planning and capacity-building initiatives to grow the nation's talent pool in cybersecurity.
Strategic actions
The discussion yielded several practical recommendations to raise Fiji's cyber maturity. These included the creation of a National Cyber Resilience Strategy to define roles, responsibilities, and long-term tactics for fortifying cybersecurity nationwide.
Other suggestions included formal public-private partnerships for information sharing and resource pooling between regulators, financial organisations and cybersecurity service providers. Leadership engagement was identified as essential, with plans to run executive-level cybersecurity events to improve decision-makers' understanding of threats and resource allocation.
Training and capacity building for local professionals, as well as national cyber drills and tabletop exercises, were also discussed to test and improve Fiji's response readiness to incidents.
Leadership and regulation
Joel Abraham addressed the influence of regulatory policy in driving better security standards, stating the need for oversight and governance frameworks that reinforce cybersecurity at every level of the organisation. Krishneel Kumar offered perspectives on how adaptable security models can be rolled out across both public and private sectors, bridging technical needs and governance objectives.
This alignment between technical action and regulatory oversight was viewed as crucial to ensuring progress beyond discussions and towards actual improvement in cyber defence.
Borderless CS's regional outlook
Borderless CS reaffirmed its intent to support Fiji in bolstering cyber resilience, seeing its role as extending past compliance and into areas of digital trust, risk assessment, security advisory, and ongoing training. We believe cybersecurity should be inclusive, affordable, and accessible to all, especially in regions where resources are limited, but the risks are rising.
Upcoming leadership event
An outcome of the meeting was the initiation of a C-Suite Cybersecurity Leadership Event in Fiji, aiming to bring together bank executives, government officials and technology sector representatives. The event aims to share insights into threat landscapes, discuss board-level governance, and explore collaborative defence mechanisms, all with a view to making cybersecurity a core operational priority.
Forward strategy
Borderless CS said it is encouraged by the leadership demonstrated by the Reserve Bank of Fiji and restated its commitment to supporting efforts aimed at strengthening national and regional cyber resilience. The company maintains that a united approach is essential to safeguarding the digital landscape for individuals, organisations, and broader society.