As the financial sector embraces digital transformation, the need for robust and scalable cloud solutions becomes critical. CaixaBank (CXB), a leader in financial services in Spain and Portugal, is proud to be part of the EMERALD project, which focuses on certifying hybrid cloud-edge environments, ensuring they meet the highest standards of security and compliance whilst embracing new technologies and optimizing processes.
Objective and Motivation
The EMERALD Pilot 4 aims to demonstrate the capability of EMERALD in certifying and securing hybrid cloud-edge environments for industrial end-users, and it will be evaluated within one of the most strict sectors in terms of regulation, financial services.. As CaixaBank transitions towards integrating Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) cloud services alongside its existing on-premise solutions, EMERALD will play a key role in ensuring that this transformation adheres to the rigorous security frameworks demanded by International, National regulations and own company policies. This integration will enhance the bank’s ability to offer seamless, secure, and compliant services to its customers.
Scope of the Pilot
The pilot specifically targets compliance at a ‘high’ level, showcasing EMERALD’s ability to monitor, validate, and maintain the security and compliance of services across multiple environments—datacenter, cloud, and edge—in real-time. This project will be a key enabler for ensuring continuous compliance towards multiple regulatory schemes and policies as CXB scales its cloud and edge services to meet the needs of modern financial operations.
Key Goals of the EMERALD Project
- Real-Time Compliance Monitoring
Demonstrating EMERALD’s ability to ensure that hybrid cloud-edge environments remain compliant with the European Union Cloud Services (EUCS) standards in real time. - Secure Integration of Cloud and Edge Services
Ensuring the seamless and secure integration of various cloud and edge services, addressing the critical security challenges posed by increasingly complex IT environments in financial services. - Standardization in Cybersecurity Certification
EMERALD seeks to bridge the gap in cybersecurity certification across multi-provider environments, making it easier for specialized service providers to meet regulatory requirements and integrate into the financial services ecosystem. - Promoting Cloud as a Service (CaaS)
Validating the concepts and frameworks developed to enhance cloud service integration and user interaction, supporting Cloud as a Service (CaaS) models that simplify and secure the interaction between cloud solutions and financial service providers.
Conclusion
Through this collaboration, CaixaBank is paving the way to the digital transformation of companies in general and the financial sector in particular, ensuring that cloud and edge computing services are fully integrated, secure, and compliant with top-tier regulatory standards while the number of cloud service providers keep scaling. The EMERALD project not only addresses immediate security concerns but also fosters innovation by providing a scalable, standardized framework for cybersecurity certification.
Stay tuned for updates as CaixaBank and EMERALD continue to pave the way for the future of secure financial services in the digital age.