National conference on Cyber Fraud Prevention and Digital Financial Security set for Kathmandu

KATHMANDU: A second national conference focused on cyber security, cyber fraud prevention, and digital financial safety will be held in Kathmandu on February 26 (Magh 14), amid growing concerns over rising cyber risks in Nepal’s banking, financial, and fintech sectors.

The conference is being jointly organized by Kathmandu Fintech and PCI SSC, bringing together nationally and internationally renowned experts to discuss emerging cyber threats, fraud control mechanisms, and risk management practices in the digital finance ecosystem.

With cyber fraud incidents increasing rapidly in both scale and sophistication, organizers say the event aims to strengthen institutional and consumer-level safeguards. Nepal has already witnessed cyber fraud cases amounting to billions of rupees, with criminals increasingly exploiting digital platforms to gain unauthorized access to customer accounts through social engineering, phishing, and other deceptive techniques.

The keynote speaker at the conference will be Deepak Kumar, a former central banker and currently the head of the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT)—a premier institution established under the leadership of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Kumar will deliver a special address on cyber security in the banking sector, focusing on KYC systems, digital risk management, and institutional preparedness.

A major highlight of the conference will be its emphasis on protecting bank and financial institution customers from cyber fraud. In this context, HDFC Bank of India’s successful anti-cyber fraud initiatives will be presented as a case study. The session will be led by Manish Agrawal, a senior banker who spearheaded the campaign. Agrawal will share practical strategies, operational measures, and real-life cases demonstrating how banks can prevent fraud and safeguard customers, including his experience in effectively identifying and disabling mule accounts within the banking system.

Further strengthening the international perspective, Krishna Shastri—a member of the RBI’s Standing Committee on Cyber Security, an Interpol trainer, and Cyber Partner at Ernst & Young—will present on cyber risk trends, global best practices, and regulatory approaches to combating digital financial crimes.

The conference will also feature presentations from experts representing Visa, one of the world’s leading card network operators. In addition, senior bankers, cyber security specialists, and experts from Nepal’s banking and financial sector are expected to participate actively in the discussions.

The event is being supported by FonPay, eSewa, Visa, SCT, and Tutelar, reflecting growing private-sector collaboration in strengthening Nepal’s digital financial security framework.

Organizers believe the conference will play a critical role in enhancing awareness, improving institutional coordination, and promoting actionable solutions to counter cyber fraud at a time when Nepal’s digital payments and fintech ecosystem is expanding rapidly.