The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) on October 27, 2026, notified the Certification on Cyber Security and Cyber Resilience for Designated Officers and other specified employees of Regulated Entities in the IFSCs.
The following has been stated:
• IFSCA has mandated cyber security certification requirements for Regulated Entities (REs) in IFSCs to strengthen cyber security governance, awareness and resilience. The NISM-IFSCA-02A Basic Cyber Security Certification examination will commence on November 18, 2026, while the NISM-IFSCA-02B Advanced Cyber Security Certification examination will commence on December 30, 2026.
• Designated Officers of REs and Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) of Market Infrastructure Institutions (MIIs) shall obtain both certifications. Compliance Officers and employees responsible for IT operations or information security, or having privileged access to critical systems, shall obtain the Basic Certification, while the Advanced Certification is encouraged for these personnel.
• All other employees are encouraged to obtain both certifications. The mandatory certifications shall be obtained within six months from the respective examination launch date or six months from appointment to the relevant role, whichever is later, and shall remain valid throughout the period in that role. REs are also required to maintain certification records and provide them to IFSCA whenever requested.
[Notification No. - IFSCA-CSD/MSC/4/2026-DCS]
