Why Europe’s Financial Services Sector Must Shift from Defence to Resilience Now
In recent months, Europe has moved rapidly from being considered a lower-risk cyber region to one of the most targeted globally. For financial services (FS) institutions that operate across the UK and EU — including those building teams in hubs like Amsterdam — this shift demands not just more security, but fundamentally different talent, strategy and execution.
The Threat Landscape Has Changed
According to the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), phishing remains the primary intrusion vector, but adversaries are evolving fast:
- Phishing-as-a-Service (PhaaS) kits now replicate trusted brand login pages and deliver credential stealers at scale.
- AI-enhanced attacks are increasing — for example, deepfakes are being used to impersonate executives in brazen frauds.
- Third-party and supply-chain breaches are on the rise, as attackers target outsourced vendors and service providers to reach deeper into FS networks.
In short: the nature of the attack is not just changing, the expectation is shifting — organisations can no longer assume they can block everything. They must assume compromise and build resilience accordingly.
What That Means for Talent and Hiring
For banks, insurers and asset managers across Europe and the UK, this means the hiring bar has moved. It’s no longer enough to hire “cybersecurity engineers” or “compliance managers.” The roles and teams you now need must embody three core traits:
- Hybrid skill-sets — Professionals who understand tech + regulation + business. For example, a cyber leader who can engage with regulators, speak business language and implement controls.
- Built for resilience — Teams structured for incident response, recovery and third-party risk, not just prevention. FS firms increasingly view resilience as a competitive advantage.
- Speed and market-readiness — In Europe’s fast-moving regulatory + geopolitical environment, firms cannot afford long hiring cycles or generic talent-moves.
Why Amsterdam-Based FS Hiring Matters
When you’re recruiting for cross-border FS teams, a hub like Amsterdam offers an asymmetric advantage:
- Access to multilingual, highly educated talent in risk, compliance and cyber.
- Proximity to major European financial centres and a strong EU-regulated environment.
- Flexible consultants covering Europe & UK who understand the talent, regulation and culture.
At HW3’s Amsterdam hub, we bring this together: sector-specialist recruiters, deep European reach and a mindset built for team-delivery, not just single hires.
Final Thoughts: Time to Shift from “Defend” to “Deliver”
The cyber threat environment has reached a turning point. For financial services firms, especially those scaling teams in Europe and the UK, the question is no longer if you’ll face an incident — it’s when, and how ready your teams will be.
If you’re building teams in risk, compliance, audit, cyber or front-office talent, make sure your talent strategy isn’t just reactive. Build for resilience. Hire for hybrid ability. And move with speed.
Looking to scale your cyber or resilience-capable teams across Europe & the UK? Let’s talk - https://www.hwthree.com/contact