Mastercard Opens European Cyber Resilience Centre in Belgium

Breaking new ground in Europe, the hub will contribute to further securing the commerce and payment ecosystem in the region

Mastercard today announced the opening of its European Cyber Resilience Centre (ECRC) at its European Headquarters reaffirming the company’s commitment to combatting cyber threats and enhancing resilience in the region. The new state-of-the-art centre will sharpen defenses against cyber threats, speed up response times and serve as a hub for thought leadership in cybersecurity, fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors.

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Mastercard European Cyber Resilience Centre Opening in Waterloo, Belgium. (From left to right) Michael Miebach, Chief Executive Officer, Mastercard, Mathieu Michel, Belgian State Secretary for Digitalisation, Mark Barnett, President, Mastercard Europe, Catherine De Bolle, Executive Director, Europol. Photo by: Nicolas Peeters. (Photo: Business Wire)

With continuous digitization and unprecedented levels of connectivity, cybercrime presents a shared challenge across all organizations. Fraudsters are using technology in more innovative and sophisticated ways to try and harm consumers and businesses. Cybercrime has turned into a global economy now estimated to be worth trillions of euros.

To address this ever-evolving threat landscape, the ECRC brings together partners from across the public and private sectors. By leveraging its facilities and diverse talent pool, it facilitates collaboration with national cyber intelligence centres, law enforcement agencies, and industry bodies across Europe.

"In today’s hyperconnected world, cybercrime is evolving and so are we. This centre will bring together the brightest minds from business, government and other sectors to stay ahead of threats and make the digital world as secure as possible. Afterall, the work to ensure people can trust that they are safe online doesn’t stop at our four walls — or our firewalls," said Michael Miebach, CEO, Mastercard.

The Centre bolsters Mastercard’s ability to combat cyber threats across the digital ecosystem and helps it protect, detect, and respond to attacks. It fosters deeper connections with customers, partners, and stakeholders and drives collaboration across the region, enhancing resilience.

The Mastercard European Cyber Resilience Centre includes a Fusion Centre, the heart of Mastercard’s organizational incident response, and a Digital Forensics Lab in addition to representatives from more than 20 teams - all crucial to running an effective Resilience Centre.

"At Europol, we are strong believers that no single actor, sector or nation, can face the threats of cybercriminals alone. Each of us has a complementary role to play. By bringing together all relevant actors, the European Cyber Resilience Centre has the potential to bring excellence into our cross-sectoral collaboration," said Catherine De Bolle, Executive Director, Europol.

"It is with great pride that I am here today for the inauguration of the Mastercard European Cyber Resilience Centre. I am delighted that Belgium has been chosen to host this first centre in Europe dedicated to cybersecurity for Mastercard, and even more so because it will be established in the heart of Walloon Brabant. We live in a world where cyber threats are omnipresent and constantly evolving. Cyberattacks know no borders and affect all sectors of our society, from the public to the private sector, from critical infrastructures to ordinary citizens. It is therefore imperative that we unite to meet these challenges with determination and efficiency. This event marks a significant milestone in our shared commitment to strengthening cybersecurity in Europe and Belgium. The European Cyber Resilience Centre represents a key initiative to promote collaboration between the public and private sector, as well as regulatory bodies. By working hand in hand, we can significantly improve our ability to prevent, detect and respond to cyber threats," said Mathieu Michel, Belgian Secretary of State for Digitalization.

The commitment to European security is reflective of Mastercard's role in powering economies and empowering people. This is underscored by its robust infrastructure, which facilitated the protection of 143 billion transactions in 2023 alone. Upholding high standards of privacy, data responsibility, and cybersecurity, Mastercard continues to deliver seamless and secure transactions while safeguarding customer information.

About Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com

Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.

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