Fintech PR
BioCatch unveils world’s first behavior-based financial crime intelligence-sharing network
BioCatch Trust™ Network initiative now live in Australia, other countries to follow
NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — BioCatch today announced the launch of the BioCatch Trust™ Network, the world’s first inter-bank, behavior-based, financial crime intelligence-sharing network. The BioCatch Trust™ Network initiative protects member bank customers against financial crime, scams, and fraud by assessing in real time the trustworthiness of the accounts to which they direct their transfers and payments. If the network deems a receiving account untrustworthy, it shares this intelligence with the sending bank in real time, allowing the sending institution to suspend and investigate the transaction before any money leaves the sender’s account.
“Scam payments are nearly always transferred to mule accounts through which scammers launder their profits before withdrawing them,” BioCatch CEO Gadi Mazor said. “To combat this rampant criminal activity, it’s crucial for sending and receiving banks to collaborate and share intelligence in real time to proactively identify these money mules and halt payments to them. This cooperation can dramatically reduce the number of scam victims and significantly disrupt criminals’ ability to launder their illegally acquired money. We know the bad actors behind these attacks swap tactics, strategies, intelligence, and technology with other rival cybercriminals. We’re proud to now offer banks an opportunity to join their own intelligence-sharing network to fight back.”
The global leader in digital fraud detection and financial crime prevention powered by behavioral biometric intelligence, BioCatch launched the BioCatch Trust™ Network in Australia earlier today, with five of that nation’s largest banks as founding members. The network’s foundational behavioral intelligence engine ingests country-specific digital session, payment, account, device, IP and geo-location, and non-monetary event signals to holistically evaluate the trustworthiness of every receiving account before a payment is processed.
This allows financial institutions to proactively protect users from authorized push payment (APP) fraud, and social engineering scams where the fraudster manipulates the victim outside of a digital banking session (many scams originate via an email, text message, or social media post) without introducing unnecessary transactional friction. The BioCatch Trust™ Network accomplishes this while still carefully maintaining user privacy, utilizing proven pseudonymization technology to protect the identities of retail banking customers at member banks.
As more banks contribute account intelligence to the BioCatch Trust™ network, the models that evaluate receiving accounts learn, growing smarter and more effective, offering deeper predictive insights and broader coverage, while learning from billions of historical and validated data points. The network’s predictive intelligence fosters real-time financial crime insights, offering immediate protection for all members as soon as a potential risk is identified. There’s no waiting for fraud feedback.
“Real-time information sharing enables us to recognize patterns that individual entities may miss, providing a fuller view of criminal activity while protecting sensitive information,” 5OH Consulting Co-Founder and former U.S. Secret Service Deputy Special Agent in Charge of Cyber Matt O’Neill said. “Today’s financial crime is complex and fast-moving. The ability to securely share actionable intelligence without compromising privacy is what allows institutions, with support from real fraud fighters like BioCatch, to act decisively and prevent the exploitation of our financial systems.”
BioCatch Trust™ complements existing networks that share information after a scam has taken place, adding real-time risk assessments for receiving accounts before the sender transfers away any money. BioCatch Trust™ Australia launched earlier this fall. The company expects networks serving other countries to go live throughout 2025.
“Accurately and effectively detecting and preventing authorized payment fraud scams comes down to the ability of both the sending and receiving financial institutions to piece together meaningful context behind any given payment from both the perspective of the sender and the beneficiary,” Datos Insights Strategic Advisor Trace Fooshée said. “Those FIs that are confined to seeing only one side of the signals of a given payment will find themselves with insufficient context to make an effective and accurate means of distinguishing between legitimate and fraudulent payments whether on the sending or receiving side of the transaction.”
To view the announcement around the launch of BioCatch Trust™ Australia – including commentary from the founding member banks – click here.
About BioCatch:
BioCatch stands at the forefront of digital fraud detection, pioneering behavioral biometric intelligence grounded in advanced cognitive science and machine learning. BioCatch analyzes thousands of user interactions to support a digital banking environment where identity, trust, and ease coexist. Today, 34 of the world’s largest 100 banks and 237 total financial institutions rely on BioCatch Connect™ to combat fraud, facilitate digital transformation, and grow customer relationships. BioCatch’s Client Innovation Board – an industry-led initiative featuring American Express, Barclays, Citi Ventures, HSBC, and National Australia Bank – collaborates to pioneer creative and innovative ways to leverage customer relationships for fraud prevention. With more than a decade of data analysis, 93 registered patents, and unmatched expertise, BioCatch continues to lead innovation to address future challenges. For more information, please visit www.biocatch.com.
PR contact:
Mac King
BioCatch senior comms manager
[email protected]
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Fintech PR
President Emmerson Mnangagwa met this week with Zambia’s former Vice President and Special Envoy Enoch Kavindele to discuss SADC’s candidate for the AfDB
President Mnangagwa, who is SADC Chairperson, reaffirmed his own country’s and SADC’s enthusiastic support for Zambian candidate Sam Maimbo
LUSAKA, Zambia, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Special Envoy Kavindele released the following statement following the meeting:
“I am elated to witness the growing success and momentum of Sam Maimbo’s candidacy to become the next President of the African Development Bank. I am filled with gratitude to our friends across both SADC and COMESA for their continued support and good wishes.
Sam has garnered such wide consensus due to his being uniquely qualified to deliver the transformative change and empowerment our continent needs. Sam’s 30 years in development work is defined by driving outcomes, improving processes, and investing in people. The AfDB needs a hands-on leader who is laser focused on delivering results and who is unafraid of making tough decisions in order to best serve our continent. Sam is that leader. Sam has the track record and experience to drastically enhance the pace, scale, and impact of the Bank’s work in service of the people and governments of Africa.
Our region has a proud history of supporting fellow Southern Africans. For example, we all recall Lusaka’s role in hosting the African National Congress’ headquarters during the dark days of Apartheid oppression.
It therefore gives me no pleasure to observe my South African brothers, who have themselves leant on Zambia’s steadfast friendship over many decades, fail to rally behind both SADC and COMESA’s chosen candidate for the AfDB. Africa’s urgent economic development challenges demand transformational leadership at the AfDB, it is all of our responsibility to put forward the best candidate for the job. This is not the time or place for a government to act with narrow self-interest, we all must act in the continent’s and AfDB’s best interest.
I thank Sam Maimbo for his lifelong service to our entire continent, and I am eager to witness his enormous impact as President of the AfDB.”
LONDON, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Heimdal Security shares a practical holiday cybersecurity checklist, offering expert insights to help businesses safeguard against cyber threats this festive season.
With reduced staffing, remote work setups, and a surge in online shopping creating heightened vulnerabilities, this guide offers actionable tips to enhance business security.
Going beyond basic advice, the checklist also highlights the most common holiday scams and features videos showcasing real-life examples of Christmas-themed cyber scams and effective prevention strategies.
Key Tips to Protect Businesses This Holiday Season:
- Strengthen endpoints: Ensure devices are updated with antivirus and endpoint protection software; consider Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and application whitelisting.
- Prepare for phishing spikes: Train staff to identify suspicious emails, enforce robust email filters, and establish protocols for reporting unusual activity.
- Secure remote access: Mandate VPN usage, monitor unusual logins, and deactivate inactive accounts temporarily.
- Segment and shield networks: Isolate sensitive areas, deploy DNS security and advanced firewalls, and maintain full visibility over network traffic.
- Apply timely patches: Regularly update all systems and test patches in a controlled environment to minimize disruptions.
- Mitigate supply chain risks: Assess vendors thoroughly and limit their access to essential systems.
- Have a response plan ready: Tailor incident protocols for the holidays, create an on-call rotation for the IT team, and enable rapid action against suspicious activity.
“ Cybercriminals thrive on holiday distractions, but with proactive measures like phishing training, secure endpoints, and network segmentation, businesses can stay ahead of potential threats,” said Alex Panait, System Administrator at Heimdal Security.
Common Holiday Scams That Businesses Should Watch For:
Cybercriminals often tailor their tactics to exploit the festive season. The most common scams include:
- Spear phishing: Emails disguised as holiday bonuses or event invitations that steal credentials or spread malware.
- Malicious holiday E-Cards: Festive greetings that contain links deploying ransomware or spyware.
- Fake E-Commerce sites: Fraudulent websites offering discounts to steal payment information.
- Insider threats: Distracted or disgruntled employees mishandling or exploiting sensitive data.
- Corporate travel scams: Fake booking platforms targeting business travelers.
- Business email compromise (BEC): Fraudulent requests for urgent wire transfers during year-end financial rushes.
For more, read the full article here or watch the video on YouTube to see how these threats unfold and learn actionable prevention strategies.
About Heimdal:
Established in Copenhagen in 2014, Heimdal® empowers CISOs, security teams, and IT administrators to improve their security operations, reduce alert fatigue, and implement proactive measures through a unified command and control platform.
Heimdal’s award-winning cybersecurity solutions span the entire IT estate, addressing challenges from endpoint to network levels, including vulnerability management, privileged access, Zero Trust implementation, and ransomware prevention.
For further press information:
Madalina Popovici
Media Relations Manager
[email protected]
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/stay-cyber-safe-this-holiday-season-heimdals-checklist-for-business-security-302337465.html
Fintech PR
According to Tickmill survey, 3 in 10 Britons in economic difficulty: Purchasing power down 41% since 2004
The people who have the most problems are women (30%) and are between 35 and 49 years old (39%)
ROME, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The purchasing power in the UK has dropped by 41% over the last 20 years. Today, £100,000 left in a bank account since 2004 without being invested would now be worth £59,021.
This figure is one of the findings from a study conducted by Tickmill, an international online trading broker that compared the economic situation in the UK and the European Union through the infographic “Purchasing Power and Cost of Living: UK vs EU”.
The analysis reveals a slight decline of 0.4% in the UK’s purchasing power, which currently stands at £41,573. In contrast, the European Union has seen a modest rise of 0.1%, reaching £40,874.
Why is purchasing power declining in the UK? One key factor is the cost of living. If the UK were still part of the European Union, it would rank as the fifth most expensive country, behind Ireland, Luxembourg, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
Unsurprisingly, 3 in 10 Britons are struggling with the cost of living. Women (3 in 10, compared to 25% of men), those aged between 35 and 49 (4 in 10), households earning less than £15,000 (6 in 10), and single parents (1 in 2) are among the most affected groups.
Among UK nations, Northern Ireland is the hardest hit, with 34% of its population facing financial difficulties, followed by Wales (31%), England (28%), and Scotland (22%). In England, the North East has the highest percentage of people struggling, with 4 in 10 residents affected. Even in London, the high costs impact 1 in 4 adults.
In response to these challenges, Britons are making significant adjustments:
- 53% have cut back or delayed spending on smaller items like eating out, entertainment, subscriptions, clothing, toys, books, etc.;
- 52% have reduced household energy consumption;
- 48% have decreased their grocery spending;
- 41% have scaled back or postponed major expenditures, such as holidays, cars, and weddings;
- 26% are working longer hours, taking on overtime, or pursuing additional jobs to earn extra income.
The British also made changes on the financial side. One in four adults has been forced to dip into their savings or investments to cover daily expenses. Moreover, 44% have stopped saving or investing entirely or have reduced their savings and investments—a 4% increase compared to 2023.
The lack of investment is another critical factor contributing to the decline in purchasing power. It is estimated that 13 million UK residents hold £430 billion in cash deposits but do not invest. The reasons? Seventy-four percent say they cannot compare investment products effectively, and 43% are afraid of losing their money.
A lack of knowledge and fear are preventing many savers from taking advantage of an important opportunity: preserving or increasing their purchasing power in the long term.
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