The Autoriteit Financiële Markten (AFM) is the Netherlands' independent market conduct authority, established in 2002 to supervise the conduct of the entire financial market sector. The mission is straightforward: promote fair and transparent financial markets. That means the security posture isn't just protecting corporate data - it's safeguarding the integrity of a national financial system where a compromised system could mean manipulated market conduct disclosures or suppressed supervisory findings.
As a regulatory body operating in the financial services vertical, the threat model runs deep: nation-state actors targeting financial infrastructure, sophisticated fraud operations seeking to exploit supervisory processes, and the ever-present challenge of securing systems that ingest and analyze massive volumes of sensitive market data. The cybersecurity function here operates at the intersection of regulatory mission and critical infrastructure protection - no product releases, just the relentless work of keeping a supervisory authority's digital backbone intact.
The organization values discipline, analytical capability, and a progressive mindset. Core working principles emphasize diligence, thoroughness, autonomy, and connection with stakeholders. Based in the Netherlands, AFM's security teams work within a framework where the stakes are systemic - protecting the machinery that keeps financial markets honest.
