Digital Banking and Financial Technology Auditing Training Course

Course Introduction

The Digital Banking and Financial Technology Auditing Training Course provides a comprehensive framework for auditing modern banking platforms, digital financial services, fintech applications, electronic payment systems, mobile banking channels, and technology-enabled financial operations. The programme examines how digital technologies are transforming banking models while introducing new risks involving cybersecurity, data integrity, customer protection, regulatory compliance, automated processing, third-party dependencies, and operational resilience.

The course develops practical capabilities for assessing the governance, risk management, internal controls, security, reliability, and financial integrity of digital banking environments. Participants will examine digital banking architectures, application controls, access management, transaction processing, APIs, cloud infrastructure, databases, authentication mechanisms, digital onboarding, payment systems, and automated workflows. Particular attention is given to understanding how technology risks can affect financial reporting, customer transactions, liquidity, regulatory obligations, and institutional reputation.

Participants will learn how to apply risk-based audit methodologies to digital banking and fintech environments, from audit planning and risk assessment through fieldwork, control testing, data analytics, evidence evaluation, issue validation, and reporting. The programme integrates financial audit, IT audit, cybersecurity, operational risk, compliance, and technology assurance principles to provide a multidisciplinary approach to auditing digitally enabled financial services.

The programme examines major digital banking processes, including mobile and internet banking, digital payments, electronic funds transfers, card processing, digital wallets, customer onboarding, lending platforms, open banking, fintech integrations, and automated financial services. Participants will assess transaction controls, authentication, fraud monitoring, settlement processes, reconciliation, customer data management, system interfaces, and third-party service arrangements that support these activities.

Emerging technologies are a central component of the course, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, blockchain, application programming interfaces, robotic process automation, embedded finance, open banking, biometric authentication, and real-time payment infrastructure. Participants will explore the audit implications of these technologies, including algorithmic risks, model governance, data privacy, technology concentration, automated decision-making, cyber threats, and rapidly evolving regulatory expectations.

Through practical case studies, audit scenarios, transaction analytics, control assessments, cybersecurity exercises, and digital financial service reviews, participants will strengthen their ability to identify and evaluate technology-enabled financial risks. The course is designed for professionals who need to provide meaningful assurance over digital banking operations, fintech ecosystems, payment infrastructure, financial technology controls, and the resilience and integrity of increasingly digital financial institutions.

Duration

10 days

Who Should Attend

• Internal auditors responsible for digital banking, fintech, payment systems, and technology-enabled financial services.

• External auditors assessing digital financial processes, technology controls, transaction systems, and electronic financial information.

• IT auditors conducting technology risk assessments and audits of banking applications, platforms, infrastructure, and interfaces.

• Banking professionals responsible for digital channels, mobile banking, internet banking, payment platforms, or fintech operations.

• Risk managers evaluating technology, operational, cybersecurity, financial, and third-party risks within digital banking environments.

• Compliance professionals monitoring digital financial services against banking regulations, technology requirements, and consumer protection obligations.

• Information security professionals responsible for cybersecurity controls protecting banking platforms, customer data, and financial transactions.

• Fintech professionals involved in developing, managing, governing, or assuring digital financial products and services.

• Payment systems specialists responsible for electronic payments, card processing, settlement, reconciliation, and transaction infrastructure.

• Banking operations managers overseeing digital transaction processing, customer onboarding, electronic channels, and financial service workflows.

• Fraud risk professionals investigating digital transaction anomalies, account compromise, payment fraud, and technology-enabled financial crime.

• Internal control specialists designing, testing, and monitoring controls across digital banking applications and financial technology platforms.

• Audit managers and supervisors responsible for planning, reviewing, and reporting digital banking and fintech audit assignments.

• Technology governance professionals evaluating cloud platforms, APIs, third-party providers, digital ecosystems, and technology resilience.

• Consultants supporting digital banking transformation, fintech governance, regulatory compliance, cybersecurity, and financial technology assurance.

Course Objectives

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of digital banking and fintech ecosystems and their implications for financial, operational, technology, regulatory, and cybersecurity risk.

• Understand digital banking architectures, payment platforms, mobile applications, APIs, cloud infrastructure, databases, authentication systems, and integrated financial technology environments.

• Apply risk-based auditing methodologies to identify, assess, prioritize, and document risks associated with digital banking products, services, platforms, and technology dependencies.

• Evaluate IT general controls covering access management, change management, system operations, incident response, backup, recovery, and technology governance in digital financial environments.

• Assess application controls governing digital transactions, authentication, authorization, validation, processing, settlement, reconciliation, exception handling, and financial reporting.

• Examine cybersecurity risks affecting digital banking platforms, customer accounts, payment systems, financial data, APIs, mobile applications, and cloud-based infrastructure.

• Apply data analytics techniques to digital transaction populations to identify anomalies, suspicious activity, duplicate transactions, unusual patterns, control exceptions, and potential financial losses.

• Evaluate customer onboarding, identity verification, authentication, authorization, account management, and digital access controls to identify risks affecting customer protection and transaction security.

• Audit electronic payment processes, mobile banking, internet banking, card systems, digital wallets, payment gateways, and real-time transaction environments using appropriate control and assurance techniques.

• Assess fintech and third-party risks involving outsourced technology, cloud service providers, payment processors, API partners, data providers, and interconnected financial ecosystems.

• Examine emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, open banking, embedded finance, biometric authentication, and automated financial decision-making from an audit perspective.

• Strengthen the ability to communicate digital banking audit findings, evaluate control deficiencies, develop practical recommendations, and support resilient, secure, compliant, and trustworthy digital financial services.

Comprehensive Course Outline

Module 1: Foundations of Digital Banking and Fintech Auditing

• Evolution of digital banking, fintech business models, electronic financial services, and technology-enabled banking operations.

• Key principles of digital banking auditing, including audit objectives, risk assessment, control evaluation, evidence collection, and assurance reporting.

• Relationships between financial risks, technology risks, cybersecurity, operational resilience, regulatory obligations, customer protection, and digital service delivery.

• Developing a risk-based digital banking audit strategy aligned with institutional objectives, regulatory expectations, technology dependencies, and emerging threats.

Module 2: Digital Banking Architecture and Technology Ecosystems

• Understanding digital banking architectures involving applications, databases, networks, cloud infrastructure, APIs, middleware, mobile platforms, and transaction engines.

• Evaluating relationships between core banking systems, digital channels, payment platforms, customer applications, data warehouses, and external financial technology services.

• Mapping transaction flows and technology dependencies to identify critical systems, control points, interfaces, data movements, and operational risks.

• Assessing architectural complexity, system integration, technology concentration, scalability, availability, and resilience from an audit perspective.

Module 3: Digital Banking Governance, Risk, and Internal Controls

• Establishing governance frameworks covering digital banking strategy, technology ownership, risk accountability, control responsibilities, and management oversight.

• Applying internal control principles to digital financial services and connecting technology controls with financial, operational, compliance, and customer protection objectives.

• Identifying inherent, control, residual, and emerging risks associated with digital banking products, platforms, channels, and technology ecosystems.

• Evaluating risk registers, governance committees, control monitoring, management reporting, issue escalation, and assurance activities supporting digital financial services.

Module 4: IT General Controls and Digital Financial Systems

• Auditing logical access, system operations, change management, backup, recovery, incident response, monitoring, and other foundational controls supporting digital banking.

• Assessing whether IT general controls provide a reliable foundation for automated application controls and digitally processed financial transactions.

• Evaluating system availability, batch processing, scheduled jobs, transaction monitoring, error management, operational support, and technology service processes.

• Identifying technology control weaknesses that may compromise digital transactions, financial data integrity, service availability, or regulatory compliance.

Module 5: Digital Banking Application and Transaction Controls

• Evaluating automated controls over transaction initiation, authentication, authorization, validation, processing, posting, settlement, and exception handling.

• Testing transaction limits, approval rules, validation mechanisms, duplicate detection, account restrictions, transaction screening, and automated workflow controls.

• Assessing application configurations affecting customer accounts, transaction processing, fees, interest calculations, payment instructions, and financial reporting.

• Designing audit procedures to determine whether digital banking application controls are appropriately designed, configured, implemented, and operating effectively.

Module 6: Customer Authentication, Access Management, and Identity Controls

• Auditing customer registration, digital onboarding, authentication, password controls, multi-factor authentication, biometrics, session management, and account recovery processes.

• Evaluating identity and access controls designed to prevent unauthorized account access, account takeover, credential compromise, and inappropriate transaction activity.

• Assessing employee, administrator, developer, and privileged access to digital banking applications, databases, infrastructure, and financial technology platforms.

• Using access reviews, authentication logs, privilege analysis, and user activity monitoring to identify inappropriate access and control weaknesses.

Module 7: Digital Payments, Cards, Wallets, and Transaction Processing

• Auditing electronic payments, card transactions, digital wallets, payment gateways, transfers, merchant payments, and real-time transaction processing.

• Evaluating transaction authorization, clearing, settlement, reconciliation, exception handling, chargebacks, reversals, refunds, and payment dispute processes.

• Applying data analytics to identify duplicate transactions, unusual payment patterns, failed transactions, suspicious transfers, abnormal reversals, and settlement discrepancies.

• Assessing end-to-end payment controls across banks, payment processors, fintech providers, merchants, clearing systems, and settlement infrastructure.

Module 8: Digital Banking Data, Analytics, and Financial Information Integrity

• Evaluating data governance, data quality, data lineage, transaction records, customer information, financial databases, and reporting information used by digital banking platforms.

• Assessing controls over data creation, modification, transmission, storage, retention, validation, reconciliation, and reporting across interconnected financial systems.

• Applying audit analytics to large digital transaction populations to identify anomalies, unusual behavior, processing errors, control exceptions, and potential financial misstatements.

• Evaluating the reliability of management information, regulatory reports, financial reports, dashboards, and system-generated information produced from digital banking data.

Module 9: Cybersecurity and Digital Banking Threats

• Assessing cybersecurity threats including phishing, credential compromise, malware, ransomware, application vulnerabilities, API attacks, and unauthorized financial transactions.

• Evaluating security controls protecting customer information, payment credentials, financial databases, applications, infrastructure, and communication channels.

• Reviewing vulnerability management, penetration testing, security monitoring, incident response, threat intelligence, and security event management processes.

• Developing audit procedures for evaluating cyber resilience, control effectiveness, incident preparedness, and the protection of critical digital financial services.

Module 10: Fintech, Open Banking, APIs, and Third-Party Risk

• Auditing fintech partnerships, open banking arrangements, APIs, embedded finance platforms, payment providers, data providers, and external financial technology services.

• Evaluating API authentication, authorization, encryption, data transmission, transaction integrity, monitoring, error handling, and interface controls.

• Assessing third-party risk management, due diligence, contracts, service-level requirements, assurance reports, concentration risks, and outsourced technology dependencies.

• Identifying risks arising from interconnected financial ecosystems, weak interfaces, inadequate monitoring, service provider failures, and uncontrolled external access.

Module 11: Digital Lending, Credit Technology, and Automated Decisions

• Auditing digital lending platforms, online applications, automated credit assessments, loan origination systems, disbursement processes, and repayment mechanisms.

• Evaluating controls over customer eligibility, identity verification, credit scoring, loan approval, pricing, limits, collateral information, and automated decision workflows.

• Assessing data quality, model inputs, exception handling, manual overrides, automated decisions, loan accounting, and system-generated credit information.

• Identifying technology and control risks affecting digital credit portfolios, customer outcomes, financial reporting, regulatory compliance, and credit risk management.

Module 12: Fraud Analytics, Financial Crime, and Digital Investigations

• Evaluating digital fraud risks involving account takeover, payment manipulation, identity theft, social engineering, synthetic identities, unauthorized transactions, and insider activity.

• Applying transaction analytics, behavioral analysis, anomaly detection, network analysis, and user activity monitoring to identify suspicious digital financial activity.

• Auditing anti-money laundering, transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, customer due diligence, and digital financial crime controls within technology-enabled environments.

• Examining electronic evidence, audit trails, transaction logs, device information, system records, and digital investigation procedures for suspected financial crime.

Module 13: Cloud Banking, AI, Automation, and Emerging Technologies

• Auditing cloud-based banking services, infrastructure-as-a-service, software-as-a-service, shared responsibility arrangements, and technology concentration risks.

• Evaluating artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotic process automation, intelligent workflows, and automated financial decision-making within digital banking.

• Assessing algorithmic governance, model risk, data quality, explainability, human oversight, automated controls, and risks arising from AI-enabled financial services.

• Examining emerging technologies including blockchain, tokenized assets, biometric systems, embedded finance, decentralized applications, and advanced digital identity solutions.

Module 14: Regulatory Compliance, Consumer Protection, and Digital Governance

• Evaluating digital banking activities against applicable regulatory requirements, internal policies, customer protection principles, and technology governance expectations.

• Auditing controls over customer disclosures, fees, transaction notifications, complaints, privacy, data protection, electronic records, and digital service transparency.

• Assessing regulatory reporting processes, compliance monitoring, issue management, control attestations, and evidence supporting digital financial service compliance.

• Identifying regulatory and governance risks arising from rapidly changing technologies, cross-border services, outsourced platforms, and evolving digital financial regulations.

Module 15: Business Continuity, Operational Resilience, and Digital Banking Recovery

• Auditing business continuity plans, disaster recovery arrangements, cyber recovery, system resilience, backup controls, and service restoration capabilities.

• Evaluating recovery time objectives, recovery point objectives, redundancy, failover mechanisms, alternative processing, and critical digital banking dependencies.

• Assessing resilience risks associated with cloud outages, cyber incidents, infrastructure failures, payment disruptions, third-party failures, and technology concentration.

• Developing audit procedures to determine whether critical digital banking services can remain available or recover within defined operational and customer service requirements.

Module 16: Advanced Digital Banking Audit and Future Trends

• Developing advanced digital banking audit programmes integrating financial audit, IT audit, cybersecurity, data analytics, compliance, fraud risk, and operational resilience.

• Evaluating continuous auditing, continuous controls monitoring, real-time analytics, automated assurance, intelligent audit tools, and technology-enabled risk assessment.

• Addressing emerging issues involving generative AI, autonomous financial services, programmable payments, digital currencies, open finance, embedded banking, and evolving cyber threats.

• Building a forward-looking digital banking audit strategy that supports secure innovation, reliable transactions, effective governance, resilient infrastructure, regulatory compliance, and trusted financial technology services.

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com Tel: +254 721 331 808

Training Venue 

The training will be held at our Upskill Training Centre. We also offer training for a group (at a discount of 10% to 50%) at requested location all over the world. The Onsite course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, buffet lunch, airport transfers, Upskill gift package, and guided tour.

Visa application, travel expenses, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Upskill certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com, +254 721 331 808

Terms of Payment:

Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 3 working days before commencement of the training so as to enable us to prepare better.