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UAE Central Bank Establishes Cybersecurity Operations Center
According to Check Point Research, the United Arab Emirates has seen roughly 311 weekly attacks per organization this year alone.
Cyber attacks are a growing problem around the world, and the United Arab Emirates has so far experienced on average 40 percent more attacks weekly in 2021 compared to 2020. According to Check Point Research, the country has seen roughly 311 weekly attacks per organization this year alone. To combat the growing number of cyber threats coming from nation states and independent cybercriminal groups alike, the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has announced the establishment of the CBUAE Networking and Cybersecurity Operations Center.
The main objective of the new Cybersecurity Operations Center will be the protection of the critical infrastructure that enables UAE’s financial sector to operate.
“In line with the CBUAE’s overarching vision, the CBUAE Networking and Cybersecurity Operations Center will strengthen the UAE’s monetary and financial systems,” said Dr. Sabri Hamed Al Azazi, Assistant Governor, Support Services and Operations, and Chief Operating Officer of CBUAE. “As Cybersecurity threats become increasingly sophisticated, it is critical that we have the necessary framework to protect our financial institutions, their infrastructure, processes, and people from these challenges”.
The Cybersecurity Operations Center will be situated in CBUAE’s Abu Dhabi headquarters. Its proximity to the nation’s major financial institutions should bring better collaboration among decision-makers, helping them respond to cybersecurity threats as they emerge.
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The UK technology comparison website Comparitech analyzed the cost of cyber crime in the UAE, the figure it came up with was $746 million a year. As alarming as the number may be, it doesn’t even tell the whole story because cyber crime in the region is still severely underreported by police, government entities, as well as individuals.
Hopefully, the new Cybersecurity Operations Center will help improve the resilience and preparedness of the financial sector so that the UAE can achieve sustainable economic growth.
News
NEOPAY Wants To Follow Merchants Across Channels And Borders
A controlling 65% stake in noon payments would give NEOPAY access to marketplace sellers, online merchants and the payment flows they generate.
It’s been a long time since checkouts were single defined places. A merchant might take payments at a physical register, on its own website and through an online marketplace, sometimes in more than one country. NEOPAY wants to follow those transactions wherever they happen.
The UAE payments company has entered into an agreement to acquire a 65% controlling stake in noon payments. NEOPAY already runs the acquiring infrastructure that lets merchants accept card payments, along with omnichannel acceptance and a merchant services platform. This new deal would add noon payments’ embedded payments platform, e-commerce gateway and merchant network across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. That would considerably expand both NEOPAY’s digital commerce capabilities and its regional reach.
For merchants, the attraction is a single provider for online and in-store payments, plus faster settlements, data and analytics, and value-added financial services.
“Payments should be simple, reliable, and built for the markets they serve,” said Faraz Khalid, CEO of noon. His counterpart at NEOPAY, Vibhor Mundhada, added: “We have built a strong payments business in the UAE, and our ambition is now to take that capability across the region”. The acquisition, Mundhada added, would “expand our footprint into Saudi Arabia and Egypt” while reinforcing NEOPAY’s position at home.
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NEOPAY is also keen to point out potential payment volume increases. The company says noon payments’ integrations with marketplace sellers and online merchants create high transaction density in some of the region’s fastest-growing digital commerce segments. It also believes control of the business would give it access to those merchant relationships and payment flows, and speed up the rollout of alternative payment methods and installment options.
The combined roadmap targets faster merchant onboarding, better payment performance, tighter fraud controls and embedded financial services. The deal could also strengthen cross-border payments and settlement along key regional commerce corridors.
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