A comparison between SWIFT and blockchain from a cyber resiliency perspective

Abstract

Payments critical infrastructure is subject to rapid technological change. Increasingly sophisticated threats must be addressed to ensure the banking and financial system security and integrity. Several high-profile cyber-incidents have recently shaken the global financial community and stimulated renewed efforts to reinforce and bolster its security framework. Two different cross border payments management approaches have emerged over the years: the SWIFT financial messaging standard and the innovative peer-to-peer transaction model based on the blockchain technology. Debates about which one will prevail as the best practice are currently a very popular topic. Security, and more specifically resiliency to evolving cyber threats, will likely be the main point of concern. Both the SWIFT and the blockchain models present potential exposure to such vulnerabilities. Ultimately, the discussion boils down to an assessment of whether a decentralized, distributed system like the blockchain better meets the integrity requirements of a modern payments infrastructure and is more suitable to mitigate the root cause of cyber incidents, which is human error.