‘Open banking’ holds promise but cybersecurity fears loom for Canadian banks
TORONTO — As banks work to fortify their cybersecurity defences amidst a growing number of data breaches, they are also exploring the promise of so-called “open banking,” a concept that could finally disrupt the staid financial services industry.
Customers have increasingly moved away from physical branches towards online and mobile apps, but banking has yet to reach its “Uberization” moment, one that breaks down traditional models to usher in new innovations, as Uber has done for the taxi industry.
Open banking — granting third-parties like financial technology startups access to bank data to develop innovative apps — could be such a “game changer,” according to Toronto Dominion Bank’s chief information officer, Jeff Henderson.
All but one of 100 payment executives at major banks globally said they were planning major investments in open banking by 2020, according to an online survey by consulting firm Accenture released last month.