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Operational Resilience in Practice: The CIMB Bank Approach
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[OR] [CIMB] [E3] [CBS] [2] [ST] Perform Scenario Testing

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Scenario testing is a methodical approach used to evaluate whether critical business services can continue to operate within predefined impact tolerances under extreme yet plausible conditions. It involves creating realistic, high‑impact scenarios that stress key people, processes, technology, and third-party dependencies. The purpose is not only to assess recovery capabilities but also to identify gaps in governance,  cybersecurity, ICT resilience, and operational continuity.

For CIMB Bank, CBS‑2 Payment & Fund Transfer Services is a core operational capability that supports millions of customer transactions daily. Performing scenario testing ensures that each sub‑process—from customer-initiated transfers to dispute resolution—is stress-tested for service availability, regulatory compliance, and ICT/cyber resilience.

Incorporating lessons from the 2025 BNM Discussion Paper on Operational Resilience, this approach reinforces proactive risk management, strengthens stakeholder confidence, and demonstrates regulatory alignment.

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Dr Goh Moh Heng
Operational Resilience Certified Planner-Specialist-Expert
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CBS-2 Payment & Fund Transfer Services

Introduction

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Scenario testing is a methodical approach used to evaluate whether critical business services can continue to operate within predefined impact tolerances under extreme yet plausible conditions.

It involves creating realistic, high‑impact scenarios that stress key people, processes, technology, and third-party dependencies.

The purpose is not only to assess recovery capabilities but also to identify gaps in governance, cybersecurity, ICT resilience, and operational continuity.

 New call-to-action For CIMB Bank, CBS‑2 Payment & Fund Transfer Services is a core operational capability that supports millions of customer transactions daily.

Performing scenario testing ensures that each sub‑process—from customer-initiated transfers to dispute resolution—is stress-tested for service availability, regulatory compliance, and ICT/cyber resilience.

Incorporating lessons from the 2025 BNM Discussion Paper on Operational Resilience, this approach reinforces proactive risk management, strengthens stakeholder confidence, and demonstrates regulatory alignment.   

Banner [Table] [OR] [E3] Perform Scenario Testing

Table P6: Perform Scenario Testing for CBS-2

Sub‑CBS Code

Sub‑CBS

Recommended Scenario Test Themes

Impact / Effect

Evidence of Proactive Risk Management Action

Link to Integration of Cyber & ICT Risks

2.1

Customer-Initiated Transfers

High-volume transaction spike with partial ICT system outage

Delayed or failed customer payments; reduced customer trust

Stress testing of transaction platforms; backup transaction queues

Cyber threat simulation (ransomware, DDoS); ICT failover testing

2.2

Internal Processing & Routing

Routing engine misconfiguration under peak load

Cascading delays in internal transfers; backlogs

Automated rollback & change control processes

Integration of ICT change management and monitoring

2.3

Clearing & Settlement Interface

Third-party clearing service failure during the peak window

Missed settlement deadlines; liquidity impact

Secondary clearing pathways; SLA testing with partners

ICT integration for secure API connectivity and third-party resilience

2.4

Foreign & Cross-Border Payments

FX gateway and connectivity outage

Delayed cross-border transfers; currency pricing errors

Dual FX routing; market scenario simulations

ICT risk: connectivity monitoring, intrusion detection for FX gateways

2.5

Payment & Transfer Compliance Controls

Large-scale AML/CFT false positives triggered by model malfunction

Transaction hold-ups; regulatory reporting delays

Periodic AI/AML model validation; audit trails

Cyber integration for model integrity, secure data pipelines

2.6

Notification & Status Reporting

Messaging platform disruption

Customers do not receive transaction notifications; trust impact

Independent messaging fallback, queue persistence tests

ICT risk: secure communication channels, resilience of APIs

2.7

Exception Handling & Remediation

Exception backlog from batch processing failure

SLA breaches; customer dissatisfaction

Automated exception routing; priority escalation dashboards

ICT workflow integration; anomaly detection in exception processing

2.8

Settlement & Reconciliation Accounting

Data corruption in the settlement database post-patch

Inaccurate accounting, financial reporting errors

End-of-day reconciliation cross-system validation; immutable logs

ICT risk: database integrity, ACID compliance, forensic logging

2.9

Service & Channel Monitoring

Monitoring tool outage due to a cyber exploit

Loss of visibility over service health; delayed incident response

Distributed monitoring with AI anomaly detection

Cyber integration: predictive monitoring, multi-channel correlation

2.10

Customer Support & Dispute Resolution

Contact centre outage or VoIP disruption

Customer queries unresolved; disputes escalate

Cloud-based failover; omni-channel support testing

ICT integration: cyber-hardened CRM, DDoS mitigation for contact channels

 

Banner [Summing] [OR] [E3] Perform Scenario Testing

Performing scenario testing for CBS‑2 Payment & Fund Transfer Services enables CIMB Bank to conduct a systematic evaluation of its operational, technological, and cyber resilience.

It ensures that severe but plausible disruptions—ranging from ICT outages to process errors—are tested against the bank’s impact tolerances.

Scenario testing delivers proactive evidence of risk management, strengthens governance, and identifies areas requiring investment or process improvements.

By incorporating cyber and ICT risks into every test, CIMB Bank not only demonstrates compliance with evolving BNM operational resilience guidance but also builds confidence in its ability to sustain core services and protect customer interests under extreme conditions.

 

Operational Resilience in Practice: The CIMB Bank Approach
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For organisations looking to accelerate their journey, BCM Institute’s training and certification programs, including the OR-5000 Operational Resilience Expert Implementer course, provide in-depth insights and practical toolkits for effectively embedding this model.

 



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Gain Competency: For organisations looking to accelerate their journey, BCM Institute’s training and certification programs, including the OR-5000 Operational Resilience Expert Implementer course, provide in-depth insights and practical toolkits for effectively embedding this model.

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