Banks are among the most heavily regulated industries in the world, making their collaboration with IT professionals both challenging and rewarding.

Whether building software solutions, maintaining infrastructure, or handling cybersecurity, those working with financial institutions must understand the unique demands of this sector.

What might work in other industries often requires adaptation to meet the compliance, security, and operational expectations of banks.

Navigating this world takes more than technical expertise—it calls for a solid understanding of how banks function, how they prioritize risk, and how their internal processes can shape project delivery.

Understanding the Bank Account Setup Process

Before any technical integration begins, IT professionals often find themselves needing to understand basic banking procedures that affect onboarding. This also includes opening a bank account, which isn’t just a consumer issue; business clients, fintech partners, and even contractors need to go through stringent verification steps.

Anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) checks mean that a simple account creation can involve weeks of document verification, identity confirmation, and internal approvals. Systems that support these tasks must integrate with both internal compliance tools and external data sources, often under tight scrutiny. Working behind the scenes of these processes gives tech teams insight into the real-time constraints banks face, especially when it comes to identity and data protection regulations.

Navigating Regulatory Compliance in Tech Projects

Any project involving a bank needs to align with a dense thicket of compliance rules. From international standards like GDPR and PCI DSS to regional laws such as the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act or Europe’s PSD2, the range of applicable rules can vary by jurisdiction, service type, and customer segment. Tech teams must work closely with compliance officers, legal advisors, and external auditors to validate that new systems, APIs, and data flows do not inadvertently break laws or create vulnerabilities. Often, solutions must be reviewed not just by internal security teams but also by regulators or third-party consultants. What appears to be a minor code update can trigger a full review cycle, extending timelines and requiring detailed documentation.

Security Expectations Go Beyond the Basics

Cybersecurity isn’t just a priority in banking—it’s a cornerstone of every digital interaction. Banks have zero tolerance for breaches, and security failures can result in public scandal, regulatory penalties, and lost trust. IT professionals must adopt a proactive mindset, implementing layered security protocols like multi-factor authentication, encrypted communications, and intrusion detection systems. Even temporary solutions or sandbox environments are expected to meet security standards. It’s common to encounter environments where legacy systems still run critical processes, so integration often requires extra layers of defense to prevent vulnerabilities. Compliance-driven practices such as periodic penetration testing and code reviews are standard expectations rather than special precautions.

Legacy Infrastructure Can Shape Every Decision

Unlike tech startups that work with clean architecture, banks often operate on decades-old systems that have been patched and expanded over the years. Core banking systems built in COBOL may still run critical functions, and replacing them isn’t always feasible. IT professionals must learn to work around, integrate with, or carefully modify these systems without disrupting essential services. APIs might not exist, documentation could be sparse, and institutional knowledge may reside with just a few senior employees. This means new tools, platforms, or software need to be backward-compatible or designed to operate in parallel until full migration is possible.

Change Management Is a Process, Not a Suggestion

Every change made within a bank’s systems follows a strict approval path, which includes risk assessments, rollback plans, testing stages, and sign-offs from multiple departments. Unlike in tech startups, where deployments can happen daily, banks may only allow changes during specific windows, often at night or over weekends, with full rollback procedures in place. IT teams must be ready to adapt to formalized structures, produce detailed documentation, and participate in change advisory board (CAB) meetings. This methodical approach can be frustrating at first, but it’s built to protect high-value transactions and sensitive data from unexpected disruptions.

Communication and Transparency Are Non-Negotiable

Working with banks means sharing progress updates, technical explanations, and risk assessments not just with tech stakeholders but with non-technical executives and regulators. Jargon-heavy presentations don’t fly here. IT professionals need to develop the skill of translating complex systems and challenges into clear, concise terms for a broader audience. Any miscommunication can delay a project or create compliance red flags. The ability to walk into a boardroom and explain a security issue in plain language is just as valuable as knowing how to patch the issue itself. Internal visibility also matters—project trackers, audit trails, and traceability tools are often required by policy.

The banking world places unique demands on IT professionals, combining the need for technical excellence with deep regulatory understanding and process discipline. It’s a sector where compliance, legacy technology, and risk management shape every project. Working with banks isn’t just about coding or architecture—it’s about aligning with a culture that prioritizes stability, trust, and meticulous oversight. Those who adapt to this environment can expect long-term partnerships, high-impact work, and a front-row seat to the digital evolution of finance.