The Invisible Backbone: Financial Infrastructure as a Security Question

30th of September 2026

from 12:00 h

Europe’s security is not determined only at its borders. It also depends on whether citizens can access their money, whether payments continue to function during a crisis, and whether critical financial infrastructure remains resilient.

As Europe strengthens its defence capabilities, the financial sector is already facing daily security challenges. Cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, hybrid threats and increasingly sophisticated AI-enabled fraud schemes are putting financial resilience and public trust to the test.

Against this backdrop, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom and the Association of German Banks are convening this discussion to explore what resilience means for Europe’s financial sector. How resilient must banking and payment infrastructure be? How should responsibility be shared between governments, banks, platforms and citizens? And what role does the financial sector play in strengthening Europe’s overall security and preparedness?