ALMATY, Kazakhstan, May 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — In just 6 months after Kazakhstan launched the digital tenge, its Central Bank Digital Currency, over 10 innovative CBDC card services have become available to the country’s population of 20 million. Altyn Bank, Eurasian Bank and Halyk Bank leveraged the Way4 digital payments software system to swiftly join this CBDC project and onboard 72% of early adopters of digital tenge cards. The digital tenge footprint is expanding, with 36 new use cases in its roadmap for 2024 and 2025, according to Kazakhstan’s National Payment Corporation.

Bank customers in Kazakhstan can apply for virtual and plastic CBDC cards and use them for both in-store and e-commerce purchases across Mastercard and Visa global networks. Additionally, they can withdraw cash at ATMs, link their cards to Google Pay, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, monitor their CBDC card balance and transaction history through mobile banking; and access other related services.

More than 130 countries are actively researching or implementing CBDC. While most CBDC transactions are conducted through web and mobile interfaces, the digital tenge project offers consumers a tangible instrument for CBDC payments.

Kazakhstan’s Digital Tenge project is pursuing several ambitious goals. These include intensifying cross-border trade, launching innovative social and anti-corruption initiatives, and enabling integration between CBDC and non-government DeFi platforms. Way4 powers card issuing and acquiring innovations for many members of the digital tenge ecosystem: Kazakhstan’s National Payment Corporation, Eurasian Bank, Altyn Bank, Halyk Bank, and national postal service Kazpost. Assisted by their partner OW Kazakhstan, three of these payments players integrated their card processing system with the Digital Tenge platform in less than two months.

The successful integration of CBDC cards into Kazakhstan’s payment ecosystem is a testament to the country’s forward-thinking approach and the robustness of its banking infrastructure. Many banks here have long used OpenWay’s Way4 software system to introduce ground-breaking innovations: for example, the first-ever UnionPay cards issued outside of China and the world’s first mobile Visa P2P transfers.

For CBDC issuance and redemption, Kazakhstan’s payment regulator selected R3’s Corda platform. Supported by Way4, Corda, and other technologies, Kazakhstan is strengthening its position on the international economic stage.

For more information about Way4 and its role in CBDC transactions, please visit openwaygroup.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/over-10-innovative-cdbc-card-services-launched-in-six-months-on-openways-way4-system-302146753.html

LONDON, May 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Oakdoor, a pioneer in hardware-enforced security solutions, which is part of PA Consulting (PA), and Nexor, the leading specialist in Secure Information Exchange, have announced a strategic partnership to advance a high assurance cross domain solution for secure data sharing. The partnership will start to create highly integrated software guarding and hardware verification solutions – with the aim of making access to data more secure and manageable for customers using multiple security domains worldwide.

Oakdoor has revolutionised data diodes in recent years, raising security standards and diode performance whilst reducing their complexity and cost. Meanwhile, Nexor has over 30 years’ experience in delivering secure information exchange at the highest level. By working together and sharing their expertise, the two companies will work to make the most secure cross domain solutions available to a wider range of customers.

The partnership will enable Nexor’s GuarDiode to be combined with Oakdoor’s cutting-edge data diodes to form a powerful cross domain solution, which will deliver unparalleled protection and resilience against evolving cyber threats. This is because Nexor’s software detects and removes malicious content by validating data against comprehensive information management policies. This allows controlled filtering of sensitive information assets into and out of critical systems. Meanwhile, Oakdoor’s UK CAPS approved data diodes are a critical hardware component for eliminating infiltration or exfiltration attack vectors within the cross domain solution.

Tim Lunn, Founder and Head of Product at Oakdoor, said: “We are excited to announce our partnership with Nexor, which aims to bring this high assurance cross domain solution to the market. By integrating Oakdoor’s National Cyber Security Centre approved diodes with Nexor’s proven protocol and management software system, we are creating a more holistic solution for customers that are working at the highest classification levels.

Tim Thompson, Managing Director at Nexor, said: We are thrilled to partner with Oakdoor, part of PA Consulting, combining Nexor’s advanced software with robust hardware to enhance market support and innovation. By harnessing exceptional engineering prowess alongside advanced software and hardware development, this strategic alliance positions both companies to pioneer more cohesive and impactful solutions, steadfastly advancing our pledge to excellence and customer satisfaction.”

Notes to the editor 

For commercial enquiries and information about joining the Oakdoor partner programme, please contact [email protected] 

About Oakdoor, part of PA Consulting:

Oakdoor, part of PA Consulting, is recognised for its innovative approach to semiconductor technology, offering robust, hardware-enforced security solutions that safeguard sensitive information and guard critical networks against modern cyber threats. Oakdoor’s CAPS approved data diodes are a critical hardware component for eliminating infiltration or exfiltration attack vectors within the cross domain solution. Developed at PA Consulting’s Global Innovation and Technology Centre (GITC), Oakdoor’s solutions integrate principles of uni-directional data flow with advanced hardware-based security, providing a critical layer of protection for organisations worldwide.

About Nexor:

Nexor excels in providing high-assurance threat and risk mitigation expertise and solutions globally. Our unique blend of Research & Advisory Services is delivered by experts trusted to lead MOD research projects into the future of cross-domain technology. With a product portfolio that is both highly customisable and aligned with NCSC import/export patterns and High Assurance principles, Nexor continues to set the standard in secure information exchange. Our agile development capabilities ensure solutions are precisely tailored to balance risk, budget, and functionality according to our customer’s specific business and security needs.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/oakdoor-partners-with-nexor-to-advance-high-assurance-security-solutions-302146842.html

LONDON, May 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — One in four people with pre-existing medical conditions (25%) say they will not declare all of their medical conditions when buying travel insurance, with 40% of these only declaring what they are currently being treated for.

Of those that would not declare everything, one in eight (13%) would only declare everything when visiting far-flung destinations, or when they’re away for two weeks or more (15%). Another 14% don’t always declare all their medical conditions as they believe the risk of falling ill is very small.

Further the issue of travelling abroad with medical conditions is not an issue confined to older holidaymakers. The new survey of a representative sample of 2,212 adults reveals that across all age groups, around two-thirds of survey respondents acknowledged they had some form of pre-existing medical condition.  For any age, medical conditions need to be declared when travelling abroad to avoid the risk of travel insurance being invalidated.

Garry Nelson, Head of Corporate Affairs at AllClear Travel Insurance commented: “While it is positive to see that most people are choosing to declare all of their medical conditions to their travel insurance provider, the fact one in four don’t is of particular concern. With travel insurance, it is vital that people – and particularly those that have pre-existing medical conditions – declare ALL the medical conditions that fall within their Travel Insurance warranty, to be sure their cover offers them the fullest protection possible.”

“Our priority at AllClear is to look after our customers on holiday and the value we deliver our customers is based on a commitment to providing the best quality product and best-in-class service for the fairest possible price.”  

For more than 20 years, award-winning AllClear Travel Insurance has helped cover more than 3.5m people, with customers across the UK and Australia.  AllClear is passionate about enabling people to obtain specialist travel insurance whatever their pre-existing medical conditions or age. Discover more about AllClear at: www.allcleartravel.co.uk 

The online research was conducted for AllClear by Sago research among a representative sample for 2,212 adults in April 2024.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/allclear-travel-research-one-in-four-people-with-medical-conditions-risk-invalidating-their-travel-insurance-when-travelling-abroad-302146684.html