From risk to resilience: why bank connectivity is now a CFO mandate
This article is a contribution from our content partner, Kyriba In a landscape where financial operations are as vulnerable to digital disruption as they are to economic shocks, secure bank connectivity is becoming a new pillar of corporate resilience. As CFOs shoulder broader responsibilities in safeguarding both assets and reputation, the risk of outdated connectivity now rivals traditional market risks. Security and privacy are no longer back-office concerns—they are central to boardroom strategy. In fact, 76% of CFOs now rank them ahead of inflation and market volatility, signaling a major pivot in finance leadership priorities. State of the market: Risk radar for CFOs The financial landscape is changing rapidly, and so are the threats. According to recent industry data, nearly 90% of U.S. companies faced payment fraud attempts in 2025, with AI-powered scams like deepfakes fueling a staggering 118% year-over-year increase. Manual verification methods and disconnected bank processes are no longer sufficient barriers against these sophisticated attacks. Meanwhile, regulatory scrutiny is intensifying. New mandates around transparency, sanctions, and real-time reporting are raising the stakes for compliance. Organizations relying on outdated, fragmented connectivity risk not only operational disruption, but also reputational damage and costly penalties. But it’s not just about risk. The ability to move money confidently, forecast liquidity accurately, and respond quickly to market events is now a defining factor in corporate resilience. Forward-looking CFOs are seizing this moment to transform their foundations, turning secure bank connectivity into a driver of agility and growth. While CFOs are increasingly aware of these external threats, many are overlooking a critical vulnerability much closer to home: their own bank connectivity infrastructure. Even as CFOs fortify defenses against external fraud and regulatory scrutiny, a more insidious risk often goes unnoticed within their own operations. Many organizations still rely on: While most discussions around cybersecurity focus on external threats such as cyberattacks or data breaches, CFOs often overlook another critical risk vector within their own operations: outdated and fragmented bank connectivity processes. Maintaining legacy bank connections is no longer just an IT headache—it’s an existential risk for the modern CFO. What once seemed like a technical detail now shapes the organization’s exposure to fraud, compliance penalties, and operational disruption. Here’s why: Manual, fragmented processes are ripe for exploitation by today’s sophisticated threat actors. Internal gaps and disconnected systems make it easier for fraudulent transactions to go unnoticed, introduce compliance failures, and create operational delays, especially during periods of market or geopolitical stress. CFOs can no longer afford to treat fraud as an isolated event. Robust, real-time validation and compliance tools are now essential weapons in the treasury arsenal. The good news? Forward-thinking CFOs are recognizing that modernizing bank connectivity isn’t just about risk mitigation—it’s about transformation. The strategic advantage of modern bank connectivity Upgrading connectivity is not just about plugging security holes. Modern, unified connectivity delivers: In a world of volatile FX, rising rates, and political risk, these advantages are not just operational, they’re strategic. This is where a strategic approach to connectivity becomes essential. Rather than continuing to patch legacy systems, leading organizations are embracing a fundamentally different model. How BCaaS reduces complexity and builds confidence Bank-Connectivity-as-a-Service (BCaaS) is designed to address these risks and inefficiencies head-on. BCaaS isn’t just a technical upgrade; it’s a strategic move that allows CFOs to future-proof their organizations against rapidly evolving threats. The question isn’t whether to modernize bank connectivity, but how quickly you can make the transition. Here’s what industry leaders are prioritizing: What leading CFOs are doing now CFOs leveraging centralized, managed bank connectivity and automated payment validation are better positioned to: To build resilience and stay ahead of fast-evolving risks, CFOs should: Where is bank connectivity headed? Looking ahead to the next 12–24 months, the role of bank connectivity will only intensify: In the coming year, CFOs who proactively modernize their bank connectivity will set a new standard for agility and resilience, transforming financial operations from a point of vulnerability into a source of strategic strength. Why secure bank connectivity is a strategic imperative Today’s CFOs are balancing increasing financial complexity with digital risk mitigation. With secure connectivity and automated fraud validation, CFOs can unlock new opportunities for growth, stability, and agility in an unpredictable landscape. In the end, risk is inevitable, but resilience is a choice. By transforming fragmented bank connections into a unified, secure foundation, CFOs can turn their greatest vulnerabilities into their most powerful assets. The organizations that invest in future-proof connectivity today will be the ones that lead with confidence, and emerge stronger, no matter what tomorrow brings. Investing in secure connectivity and future-proof fraud prevention isn’t just about protecting assets. It’s about enabling growth, agility, and peace of mind in an unpredictable world. Read more from Kyriba Join our Treasury Community Treasury Mastermind is a community of professionals working in treasury management or those interested in learning more about various topics related to treasury management, including cash management, foreign exchange management, and payments. To register and connect with Treasury professionals, click [HERE] or fill out the form below to get more information. Notice: JavaScript is required for this content.
Franklin
The Rise of Alternative Payment Rails: What Treasurers Should Know About Thunes–MoMo and TerraPay Xend
From Treasury Masterminds Corporate treasurers love stability, but the payments infrastructure clearly didn’t get the memo. Over the past year, a different type of cross-border network has been creeping into the spotlight — one built not on correspondent banks, but on mobile wallets, interoperability layers and real-time settlement rails. Two developments stand out right now: You don’t have to like the hype, but you should understand what it means. Thunes + MoMo: Real-Time Cross-Border Payments Into Nigeria Nigeria is one of the biggest remittance corridors in the world, and also one of the toughest for corporates managing payouts, refunds or supplier payments. Traditional correspondent-banking paths into the country often run on limited windows, slow clearing, and unpredictable end-to-end fees. Thunes and MoMo PSB are trying to break that pattern by connecting global send corridors directly into millions of mobile-wallet users in Nigeria with real-time settlement. Why this matters for corporate treasury This isn’t just a consumer remittance upgrade. It’s a signal: Africa’s payment corridors are modernising from the outside in. TerraPay’s Xend Network: The Interoperability Push TerraPay’s new Xend network positions itself as a global payments-interoperability layer, linking banks, mobile-money schemes, wallets and fintech platforms. The pitch is simple: one connection, many endpoints. If this sounds like the modernised, API-first cousin of traditional clearing networks… it basically is. What Xend wants to solve Xend aims to function as the connective tissue, the “universal adaptor” treasurers secretly wish existed. Why it matters for corporates If Xend scales, it could become part of the treasury conversation whenever companies evaluate multi-rail payment strategies. The Bigger Picture: A Parallel System Is Forming Treasurers are now quietly dealing with two payment worlds: The second category used to be an afterthought. Not anymore. What Treasurers Should Do Now Also Read Join our Treasury Community Treasury Mastermind is a community of professionals working in treasury management or those interested in learning more about various topics related to treasury management, including cash management, foreign exchange management, and payments. To register and connect with Treasury professionals, click [HERE] or fill out the form below to get more information. Notice: JavaScript is required for this content.