Bank of Botswana Guidelines on Cybersecurity and Resilience (2023)

Overview

The Bank of Botswana issued its Guidelines on Cybersecurity and Resilience on 31 May 2023 through the Prudential Authority and Payments Oversight Department. These guidelines represent the primary regulatory framework governing cybersecurity for all financial institutions in Botswana.

Scope of Application

These guidelines apply to:

• Banks licensed under the Banking Act (Cap. 46:04)
• Statutory banks established by specific legislation
• Other financial institutions supervised by the Bank of Botswana

Purpose

The guidelines aim to:

1. Establish minimum cybersecurity standards for Botswana's banking sector
2. Align with international best practices, particularly the NIST Cybersecurity Framework
3. Ensure financial institutions can identify, protect against, detect, respond to, and recover from cyber threats
4. Protect the stability of Botswana's financial system

Regulatory Authority

The Bank of Botswana has the authority to:

• Inspect and audit cybersecurity controls at licensed institutions
• Issue directives requiring remediation of identified weaknesses
• Impose sa