0xygyn

I spent a year as a security consultant in the banking industry. We had the technical skills and controls required to properly secure these systems, but the same nonchalant attitude from leadership and product teams, common in non-financial sectors, is what continues to undermine security in many financial institutions in this country. Many of these institutions have lost sight of their primary responsibility: keeping customers’ money and data safe. Instead, you see over a dozen engineering teams shipping new, often unnecessary features, while only 2–4 security engineers are expected to assess everything, most times within less than 24 hours. Then when a breach occurs, the first question is: “Who tested it?” Accountability is immediately pushed onto the security team. These guys continue to get away with repeated failures because meaningful enforcement and consequences are largely absent. It’s both frustrating and demoralizing for security engineers who are trying to do their jobs properly. That same anyhowness is exactly why I left the banking space, and I’ve never looked back.

CinetPay, an Ivorian payment processor serving over 25,000 businesses, was reportedly targeted by a cyberattack in September 2025, resulting in financial losses and leaving the company owing customers more than $1 million.