<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Calibri Light";
panose-1:2 15 3 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
h1
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0cm;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0cm;
font-size:24.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;
font-weight:bold;}
h2
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2 Char";
margin-top:2.0pt;
margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:0cm;
margin-left:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:13.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;
color:#2E74B5;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;
font-weight:normal;}
h3
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 3 Char";
margin-top:2.0pt;
margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:0cm;
margin-left:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;
color:#1F4D78;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;
font-weight:normal;}
h4
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 4 Char";
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0cm;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0cm;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;
font-weight:bold;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0cm;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0cm;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
p.MsoAcetate, li.MsoAcetate, div.MsoAcetate
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text Char";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
span.Heading1Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1";
font-weight:bold;}
span.Heading2Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 2 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2";
font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;
color:#2E74B5;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
span.Heading3Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 3 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 3";
font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;
color:#1F4D78;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
span.Heading4Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 4 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 4";
font-weight:bold;}
p.msonormal0, li.msonormal0, div.msonormal0
{mso-style-name:msonormal;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0cm;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0cm;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
span.BalloonTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Balloon Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text";
font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;}
p.wp-caption-text, li.wp-caption-text, div.wp-caption-text
{mso-style-name:wp-caption-text;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0cm;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0cm;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
p.color-body, li.color-body, div.color-body
{mso-style-name:color-body;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0cm;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0cm;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
p.speakable-paragraph, li.speakable-paragraph, div.speakable-paragraph
{mso-style-name:speakable-paragraph;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0cm;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0cm;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
span.EmailStyle28
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle29
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle30
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.sharing-screen-reader-text
{mso-style-name:sharing-screen-reader-text;}
span.EmailStyle32
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle33
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle34
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle35
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle36
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle37
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle38
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle39
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle40
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.contrib-byline-type
{mso-style-name:contrib-byline-type;}
span.EmailStyle42
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.fs-author-name
{mso-style-name:fs-author-name;}
span.EmailStyle44
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle45
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.light-blue-text
{mso-style-name:light-blue-text;}
span.z-TopofFormChar
{mso-style-name:"z-Top of Form Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"z-Top of Form";
font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;
display:none;}
span.z-BottomofFormChar
{mso-style-name:"z-Bottom of Form Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"z-Bottom of Form";
font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;
display:none;}
span.EmailStyle51
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.image-source-caption
{mso-style-name:image-source-caption;}
span.image-source
{mso-style-name:image-source;}
span.EmailStyle54
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle55
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle56
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.skimlinks-unlinked
{mso-style-name:skimlinks-unlinked;}
span.EmailStyle58
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle59
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle60
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle61
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle62
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle63
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle64
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.58cl
{mso-style-name:_58cl;}
span.58cm
{mso-style-name:_58cm;}
span.EmailStyle67
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.plus
{mso-style-name:plus;}
span.EmailStyle69
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle70
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle71
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle72
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle73
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle74
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1027" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-ZW link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter" />
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0" />
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" />
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t" />
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_3" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style='position:absolute;margin-left:0;margin-top:0;width:357.6pt;height:534.6pt;z-index:251658240;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:absolute;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:text'>
<v:imagedata src="cid:image002.jpg@01D5DDA6.59853770" o:title="" />
<w:wrap type="square"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width=477 height=713 src="cid:image004.jpg@01D5DEF2.A1A3DBE0" align=left hspace=12 v:shapes="Picture_x0020_3"><![endif]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>The president of the European Central Bank (ECB), Christine Lagarde, has gone on record to warn that a cyber-attack on a major financial institution could trigger a liquidity crisis.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>According to a report in the Independent newspaper, ECB president Christine Lagarde has warned that a well-organized cyber-attack on major financial institutions could lead to a financial crisis. During a speech in France on February 5, Lagarde is reported as saying that operational outages that encrypted or destroyed balance accounts at a major bank could trigger a liquidity crisis. "History shows that liquidity crises can quickly become systemic crises,” Lagarde said, adding, "The ECB is well aware that it has a duty to be prepared and to act pre-emptively."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Referring to a European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) report that estimates the global cost of cyber-attacks at anything up to $654 billion (£507 billion), Lagarde said that "As an operator of critical infrastructures, the ECB obviously takes such threats very seriously."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>The ECB is no stranger to the cyber-attack risk. In August 2019, I reported how hackers had breached security measures of the Banks’ Integrated Reporting Dictionary (BIRD) website.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>While it would be nice to think that banks and other financial institutions are immune to the kind of cyber-attack that Lagarde references, where data is destroyed or encrypted, it would be foolhardy to take that for granted. After all, we have already seen institutions such as the United Nations fall victim to a "serious cyber-attack" at the end of last year, and the City of New Orleans declared a state of emergency following a cyber-attack. The New Orleans incident is perhaps most worrying as it involved precisely the kind of attack I assume that Lagarde is talking about when she mentions data being encrypted, namely ransomware. While not being a "major financial institution," the Travelex international foreign currency exchange was hit by ransomware attackers recently, and it took many weeks before it recovered fully.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>"The recent Travelex ransomware attack highlighted the ease at which taking out one organization can in fact knock on into other companies," Jake Moore, a cybersecurity expert at ESET, said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>All of which, in the context of a coordinated and likely nation state-controlled attack, could cause the type of liquidity crisis that Lagarde warned history shows "can quickly become systemic crises." The Independent report reveals that at the most recent meeting of the ESRB board, cyber warfare had been identified as a "source of risk to the financial system."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>"There will always be a cyber risk posed to the financial industry due to the vast amounts at stake, but this risk is managed to the highest capacity," Moore said. Suggesting that companies working together build better defenses and see a lowering of the potential risk, Moore said, "When a bank heist is attempted, it is best to share the attack vectors within the industry to learn from best practice and create stronger security." forbes.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Invest Wisely!</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Bulls n Bears </span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Telephone: <a href="tel:%2B263%204%202927658" target="_blank"><span style='color:windowtext'>+263 4 2927658</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Cellphone: <a href="tel:%2B263%2077%20344%201674" target="_blank"><span style='color:windowtext'>+263 77 344 1674</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Alt. Email: <a href="mailto:info@bulls.co.zw"><span style='color:windowtext'>info@bulls.co.zw</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Website: <a href="http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bulls.co.zw&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNH8LYgdY55h-XKseuM8Kpr-JKdfhQ" target="_blank"><span style='color:windowtext'>www.bulls.co.zw</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Blog: <a href="http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bulls.co.zw%2Fblog&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNFoIy6F9IXAiYnSoPSgWDYsr8Sqtw" target="_blank"><span style='color:windowtext'>www.bulls.co.zw/blog</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Twitter: @bullsbears2010<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>LinkedIn: Bulls n Bears Zimbabwe<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Facebook: <a href="http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FBullsBearsZimbabwe&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGhb_A5rp4biV1dGHbgiAhUxQqBXA" target="_blank"><span style='color:windowtext'>www.facebook.com/BullsBearsZimbabwe</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Skype: Bulls.Bears <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><img border=0 width=210 height=101 id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image003.jpg@01D5644F.B4AB0B00" alt="cid:image012.jpg@01D0BFE7.544DF490"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:23.4pt;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>