Cyber security and artificial intelligence (AI) – these were the two major topics at the eighth Digitalization Forum, which was held by the German Leasing Association (BDL) in Berlin on October 13. The BDL Forum thus brought together two of the major topics currently on everyone’s lips – and not just in the leasing industry. For example, there were expert presentations on AI-based models for credit scoring as well as on the use of data science and intelligent mobility. This was followed by a great panel discussion on the prospects of AI in leasing. The second set of topics on cyber security was introduced by Ramon Weil, Founder & CEO of SECUINFRA: His keynote speech covered the detection, analysis and defense against cyber attacks.
The issue is currently keeping the industry very busy, with Deutsche Leasing, for example, being one of the most prominent victims this year. For example, after an attack, the leasing subsidiary of the savings banks was temporarily only able to process its data on paper. Weil showed in his presentation that Deutsche Leasing is not alone in this. Last year, 46 percent of all companies in Germany fell victim to a cyber attack. According to the security specialist, tools alone are no longer sufficient to avert threats, as there is often a lack of specialists to maintain effective IT security around the clock. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important to rely on specialized partners. Weil dispelled a myth: “There is no company that is unattractive to attackers. Therefore, a medium-sized leasing company can be just as affected as a large credit institution.”
Ramon Weil then discussed the implications of these threats for leasing companies in a panel discussion together with Dr. Christian Glaser (Katzenmaier Leasing GmbH), Philipp Oberleitner (Navax Software GmbH) and Thorsten Tewes (msg for banking AG). The moderation was taken over by BDL Managing Director Dr. Claudia Conen. Under the title “Between acute threat and regulatory burden – How much cyber security do we need?” the experts discussed the consequences of the current threat situation and regulatory requirements. The exciting roundtable focused on the applicable regulatory frameworks for IT security standards such as the Minimum Requirements for Risk Management (MaRisk), the Bank Supervisory Requirements for IT (BAIT) and the upcoming European regulatory framework Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA). For Weil, this was the highlight of a successful event: “You can see how the topic of IT security is becoming increasingly important for the leasing industry. In addition to increasing technical complexity, regulatory IT requirements are also on the rise. Without reliable external partners, this is often almost impossible to achieve. I think we were able to provide some important impetus here.”
* Image source: BDL
https://bdl.leasingverband.de/der-bdl/fachveranstaltungen/8-forum-digitalisierung
