A tailored course, built for your situation
Mastering APRA CPS 234 for Financial Services Software Engineers
Build compliant, resilient systems with confidence in high-regulation environments
$199 one-time
24-hour access provisioning
30-day money-back guarantee
Hand-built implementation playbook
12 modules. 12 chapters per module. 144 chapters total.
12 modules, each with 12 chapters (144 chapters total), text-based, plus downloadable templates and a hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access.
Engineers often ship code that later gets flagged in compliance reviews, not because it’s broken, but because it wasn’t built with the control language in mind.
The situation this course is for
Even strong technical work can get delayed or reworked when compliance teams don’t recognize the risk coverage in the design. This creates friction, extra cycles, and missed opportunities for engineers to lead.
Who this is for
Senior software engineer in financial services who influences system design and works across compliance, security, and infrastructure teams.
Who this is not for
Junior developers focused only on feature delivery without regulatory context; professionals outside financial services or regulated tech.
What you walk away with
- Translate APRA CPS 234 requirements into system design decisions
- Produce documentation that passes internal review without rework
- Collaborate confidently with compliance and risk teams using shared language
- Anticipate control expectations before architecture sign-off
- Position your technical work as a strategic asset across functions
The 12 modules (with all 144 chapters)
Module 1. Introduction to APRA CPS 234 and Its Engineering Implications
Understand the core objectives of APRA CPS 234 and how they translate into technical design requirements for financial systems.
12 chapters in this module
- Overview of APRA and its regulatory scope
- Key principles of CPS 234: information security and resilience
- How CPS 234 applies to global institutions like the firm
- Differences between CPS 234 and other global standards
- Mapping CPS 234 to technical domains: data, network, access
- Common misconceptions engineers have about compliance
- Why engineers are now first-line accountability holders
- The role of documentation in proving compliance
- How regulators assess technical implementations
- Integrating compliance into the software development lifecycle
- Case study: A payment system that passed CPS 234 review
- Common pitfalls in early-stage design decisions
Module 2. Control Mapping for Software Architecture
Learn how to map CPS 234 controls directly to system components, interfaces, and data flows.
12 chapters in this module
- Identifying high-risk systems under CPS 234
- Defining system boundaries for compliance scope
- Linking control requirements to technical layers
- Using data classification to drive design choices
- Mapping access controls to identity systems
- Network segmentation and its compliance implications
- Logging and monitoring as evidence sources
- Encryption standards required for data at rest and in transit
- Third-party dependencies and compliance risk
- Vendor software and open-source compliance checks
- Designing for auditability from the start
- Creating a control-to-component traceability matrix
Module 3. Secure Development Lifecycle Integration
Embed compliance checks into CI/CD pipelines and development workflows.
12 chapters in this module
- Integrating security gates into pull requests
- Automated scanning for CPS 234-relevant vulnerabilities
- Static and dynamic analysis tools in regulated environments
- Policy-as-code for compliance enforcement
- Managing secrets and credentials securely
- Role-based access in development environments
- Audit trails for code changes and deployments
- Peer review practices that support compliance
- Version control strategies for audit readiness
- Handling exceptions and temporary waivers
- Change management for compliant systems
- Documenting technical decisions for future reviews
Module 4. Resilience by Design
Build systems that meet CPS 234 resilience expectations for availability and recovery.
12 chapters in this module
- Defining acceptable downtime for critical systems
- Designing for geographic redundancy
- Failover mechanisms and testing frequency
- Backup strategies that meet retention requirements
- Disaster recovery plan integration with engineering
- Incident response coordination with compliance teams
- Monitoring for degradation before failure
- Capacity planning under regulatory scrutiny
- Third-party service level agreements and compliance
- Cloud provider responsibilities under CPS 234
- On-prem vs. cloud resilience trade-offs
- Documenting resilience architecture for auditors
Module 5. Access Control and Identity Management
Implement identity and access management that satisfies CPS 234 requirements.
12 chapters in this module
- Principle of least privilege in practice
- Multi-factor authentication implementation patterns
- Role-based access control design
- Just-in-time access for privileged accounts
- User provisioning and deprovisioning workflows
- Access reviews and recertification cycles
- Segregation of duties in technical roles
- Emergency access procedures and logging
- Identity federation across regions
- Handling contractor and vendor access
- Audit logging for access changes
- Detecting and responding to access anomalies
Module 6. Data Protection and Classification
Classify data assets and apply protection controls aligned with CPS 234.
12 chapters in this module
- Data classification frameworks for financial data
- Labeling data at rest and in motion
- Encryption key management best practices
- Tokenization and data masking techniques
- Data retention and deletion policies
- Cross-border data transfer compliance
- Anonymization for testing and development
- Data inventory and lineage tracking
- Third-party data handling agreements
- Vendor risk assessment for data processors
- Data breach detection and response integration
- Reporting data incidents to compliance teams
Module 7. Third-Party Risk and Vendor Management
Evaluate and manage third-party providers under CPS 234 obligations.
12 chapters in this module
- Defining critical and non-critical vendors
- Due diligence for cloud and SaaS providers
- Contractual requirements for compliance
- Ongoing monitoring of vendor performance
- Right-to-audit clauses and practical enforcement
- Vendor incident response coordination
- Subcontractor oversight responsibilities
- Assessing vendor compliance certifications
- Managing open-source software risk
- Vendor offboarding and data return
- Documentation of vendor assessments
- Integrating vendor risk into system design
Module 8. Incident Management and Reporting
Prepare for and respond to security incidents in a CPS 234-compliant way.
12 chapters in this module
- Defining reportable incidents under CPS 234
- Internal escalation procedures
- Evidence collection without disrupting operations
- Communication protocols with compliance teams
- Regulatory reporting timelines and thresholds
- Post-incident review and remediation tracking
- Sharing lessons across technical teams
- Integrating incident data into risk assessments
- Simulating breach scenarios for readiness
- Documentation required for regulator inquiries
- Legal and PR coordination points
- Maintaining chain of custody for digital evidence
Module 9. Audit Preparation and Evidence Generation
Produce clear, consistent evidence that demonstrates compliance.
12 chapters in this module
- Common auditor questions for engineers
- Preparing system diagrams for review
- Generating control implementation narratives
- Organizing logs and access records
- Demonstrating testing of controls
- Handling follow-up requests efficiently
- Using templates to standardize responses
- Versioning and storing compliance artifacts
- Cross-referencing evidence across systems
- Preparing for unannounced audits
- Working with internal audit teams
- Avoiding over-documentation while staying complete
Module 10. Cross-Functional Collaboration
Work effectively with compliance, security, and risk teams using shared frameworks.
12 chapters in this module
- Understanding the compliance team’s priorities
- Speaking the language of risk and control
- Participating in control design sessions
- Providing technical input to risk assessments
- Collaborating on audit responses
- Aligning sprint goals with compliance timelines
- Managing conflicting priorities constructively
- Building trust through consistent delivery
- Documenting decisions for non-technical stakeholders
- Escalating technical debt that impacts compliance
- Facilitating joint walkthroughs with auditors
- Creating shared ownership of compliance outcomes
Module 11. Continuous Improvement and Maturity
Evolve your systems and practices to stay ahead of regulatory changes.
12 chapters in this module
- Tracking changes to CPS 234 and related guidance
- Benchmarking against industry peers
- Internal maturity assessments
- Setting improvement goals for technical teams
- Measuring compliance efficiency over time
- Incorporating feedback from audits
- Training new engineers on compliance practices
- Sharing best practices across regions
- Leveraging automation for continuous compliance
- Reducing rework through proactive design
- Recognizing and rewarding compliance excellence
- Contributing to firm-wide compliance strategy
Module 12. Putting It All Together: A Real-World Project
Apply everything learned to a realistic system design scenario.
12 chapters in this module
- Introducing the case: a new customer portal
- Defining scope and compliance boundaries
- Classifying data and setting protection rules
- Designing access controls and identity flow
- Planning for resilience and recovery
- Evaluating third-party components
- Integrating compliance into development workflow
- Documenting control implementation
- Preparing for internal audit review
- Responding to auditor questions
- Updating design based on feedback
- Delivering a compliant, production-ready system
How this maps to your situation
- System design under regulatory scrutiny
- Cross-functional compliance collaboration
- Audit preparation and evidence delivery
- Continuous compliance in agile environments
Before vs. after
Before
Engineers work in silos, rework code after compliance feedback, and struggle to articulate risk coverage.
After
Engineers proactively design compliant systems, produce audit-ready artifacts, and collaborate with confidence across teams.
What's included with your purchase
- 12 modules with 12 chapters each (144 chapters)
- Downloadable templates and worked examples for every module
- Hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Delivery and format
- Course and learning environment access provisioned within 24 hours of purchase
- Hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access
Format: Text-based modules and chapters in the Art of Service learning environment, plus downloadable templates and worked examples for every chapter, plus the hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access.
Time investment: 90 minutes of focused learning, designed to fit into a single Sunday morning.
If nothing changes
Without clear integration of CPS 234 into engineering workflows, teams face repeated rework, delayed launches, and missed opportunities to lead in risk-informed design.
How this compares to the alternatives
Unlike generic compliance courses, this is tailored specifically for software engineers in financial services , focusing on actionable design patterns, not abstract theory.
Frequently asked
Is this course relevant if I’m not based in Australia?
Yes. APRA CPS 234 impacts any global financial institution handling Australian data or operating in regulated environments with similar standards.
How is the course structured?
12 modules, each containing 12 chapters (144 chapters total).
Will this help me in non-APRA audits?
Yes. The control mapping and documentation practices align with ISO 27001, SOC 2, and other frameworks used globally.
$199 one-time. 90 minutes of focused learning, designed to fit into a single Sunday morning..
Within 24 hours your account in the learning environment is provisioned and the tailored implementation playbook is delivered alongside it.
30-day money-back guarantee·
144 chapters·
Hand-built playbook included·
Account access within 24 hours