As part of Egypt's commitment to strengthening cooperation with African nations, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) hosted a technical delegation from the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) specializing in cybersecurity. The visit focused on Egypt's pioneering cybersecurity experience in the financial and banking sectors, particularly through its Financial Computing Incident Response Team (EG-FinCIRT)—recognized as a leading model in Africa and the Middle East. During the three-day visit, the Tanzanian delegation, responsible for operating the Financial Sector Computer Emergency Response Center (TZ-FinCERT), received an in-depth overview of EG-FinCIRT's activities, services, and cyber incident response mechanisms. The goal was to leverage Egypt's expertise in building and enhancing technical capabilities within TZ-FinCERT while fostering stronger cybersecurity collaboration between the two institutions. Sherif Hazem, CBE's Sub-Governor for the Cybersecurity Sector, highlighted the significance of the visit, stating: "The engagement of specialized cybersecurity delegations from foreign central banks, particularly within Africa, reflects the prominent role the CBE has achieved in this field. This is exemplified by our establishment of the region's first sector-specific CERT, aligned with global efforts to combat emerging digital threats." Ibrahim Mostafa, Assistant Sub-Governor of the CBE and Director of EG-FinCIRT, emphasized the importance of international collaboration in cybersecurity, noting: "The exchange of expertise among response teams from various central banks has become a critical priority amid the rapid evolution of cyber threats and the increasing reliance on digital financial technologies. We are committed to enhancing coordination and cooperation, particularly with response teams from African, Arab, and Islamic nations." The Tanzanian delegation's visit is part of a broader initiative to strengthen cybersecurity cooperation across African countries. During their time at CBE, the delegation was briefed on Egypt's proactive cybersecurity efforts, including the introduction of the Financial Cybersecurity Framework, which provides structured guidelines for securing financial institutions. Additionally, they explored CBE's methodologies for assessing cybersecurity readiness across banks and financial entities, as well as the inspection, auditing, and approval processes for digital banking solutions and FinTech applications before receiving operational licenses in Egypt. This visit underscores Egypt's leadership in financial cybersecurity and its ongoing efforts to support regional cybersecurity resilience, ensuring a safer and more robust digital financial ecosystem across Africa.
