US DHS selects FIS as cybersecurity research partner

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has signed an agreement with banking and payments technology provider FIS, as a cybersecurity research partner.

Under the terms of the partnership, FIS will address and respond to cyber threats to the global financial industry and critical infrastructure by collaborating with DHS and the US federal government.

FIS EVP and chief risk officer Greg Montana said that the partnership demonstrates FIS’s role in defining security for the financial services industry worldwide

"We’re proud of our partnership with DHS and will leverage this experience to continue to strengthen the banking and payments environments for financial institutions and the customers they serve," Montana added.

As part of the partnership which is intended to enhance the financial transactions security, FIS representatives will work with DHS’s National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC), a 24×7 cyber monitoring, incident response and management centre.

Through NCCIC, DHS collaborates and shares information with federal partners and the private sector every day to address evolving threats to the nation’s critical infrastructure and communications networks.

The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure from physical and cyber threats.

In addition to cooperating with international partners to share information and respond to incidents, the NCCIC works closely together with critical infrastructure owners and operators to reduce risk while creating and maintaining shared situational awareness among its partners and constituents.