Cybersecurity Policy Report, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT—Tips for community banks to fight cyber threats, (Oct 6, 2025)
Organizations Mentioned:Independent Community Bankers of America
By Nora Macaluso
A combination of education, new tools, and ongoing vigilance is helping banks adapt to a changing cybersecurity landscape.
Community banks are using a mix of new and older tools to fight attempted cybersecurity attacks, according to an article in Independent Banker.
Years-old schemes like ransomware and phishing attacks are still common, as are attempts to enter business systems by gaining access or credentials through company emails, Mike Manske, director of cybersecurity consulting at consulting firm West Monroe, told Independent Banker, the monthly publication of the Independent Community Bankers of America. He recommends banks stay up to date on their cybersecurity plans and testing procedures.
The Independent Community Bankers of America’s (ICBA) Cyber & Data Security page and the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center’s weekly risk summaries can help community bankers keep current, the article says.
Cybercriminals are using artificial intelligence to launch increasingly sophisticated attacks, but companies can fight back by using new technologies of their own, experts told the publication. Threat detection and software monitoring can alert bank security teams to unusual patterns from employees and customers, helping avoid scams or fraud attempts, the article says.
Education can also empower bank employees and customers to spot cybercrime and head off attacks, the article said. Lebanon, Tennessee-based Wilson Bank & Trust, it notes, spends speakers to community workshops and other events to talk about what to look for, and community bankers can also educate customers who visit their branches in person.
The article spotlights new tools community bankers are using to adapt to evolving cybersecurity threats. ICBA, it says, has been helping banks with their efforts to replace the recently retired Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council’s Cybersecurity Assessment Tool. While there’s not a single recommendation that will work for all, the article says the association has identified some potential options it thinks are likely to work for most members.
Companies: Independent Community Bankers of America
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