The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda’s cybersecurity community is celebrating a defining moment as Catherine Bwire, Head of Information Security (CISO) at Ecobank Uganda, has been named a finalist for the prestigious 2026 Top 100 Information Security Professionals Award.
The international recognition honors leaders who are shaping the future of information security through innovation, measurable impact, and professional excellence. Selected from a highly competitive pool of nominations submitted by peers and industry leaders worldwide, the finalists represent an elite circle of cybersecurity professionals influencing digital resilience across sectors and regions.
For Bwire, the nomination is more than an accolade. It is a reflection of a journey defined by discipline, resilience, and a deliberate commitment to mastering both the technical and strategic dimensions of cybersecurity.
An information technology and information security professional with over fifteen years of experience, primarily in the banking sector, Bwire has steadily risen through the ranks in one of the most highly regulated and risk-sensitive industries.
Born and raised in Kampala, she grew up in an academically rigorous household where performance was expected, not praised.
Despite personal challenges during her formative years, Bwire remained academically focused. She enrolled at Uganda Christian University Mukono where she graduated with a first-class degree in information technology, cementing her reputation as a focused and determined achiever.
While still at university, Bwire demonstrated the initiative that would become a hallmark of her career. She approached Hima Cement with her academic results and requested an opportunity. That decision led to an internship that transitioned into paid employment.
Her professional path soon led her into banking, where complexity, regulation, and scale demand precision. At Absa Bank, formerly Barclays, she worked in application support, overseeing critical systems, including online banking platforms, digital channels, and cash deposit machines.
“These systems were my responsibility. If they failed, customers felt it,” she explained.
Her progression within the institution took her from application support to asset management and later into IT controls and governance. It was here that she found her professional calling: understanding systems controls, internal controls, compliance structures, and institutional vulnerabilities.
When she pursued the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) credential, some questioned the value of her effort.
“I didn’t need permission to believe in myself,” she says. That moment symbolized a broader philosophy: competence is built, not granted.
Today, as CISO at Ecobank Uganda, Bwire operates at the intersection of technology, governance, and business continuity. Her work focuses on strengthening information security frameworks, promoting best practices in data protection, and embedding security awareness into institutional culture.
Her nomination for the 2026 Top 100 Information Security Professionals Award reflects this impact.
Winners of the award will be determined through peer and community voting, reflecting the collaborative ethos of the cybersecurity profession. Voting remains open until February 15.
Supporters may cast their votes at; https://www.onconferences.com/is-ind-voting/
