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Visa Launches Cyber Threat Intelligence Platform For Financial Institutions

Visa has launched the Visa Threat Intelligence Platform (VTIP), a new cybersecurity solution designed to help financial institutions identify and contain cyber threats before they lead to fraud, financial losses or operational disruption.

A Shift From Response To Prevention

VTIP builds on the same cybersecurity technologies Visa uses to protect its global payments network. Rather than focusing solely on fraudulent transactions, the platform aims to detect the earlier stages of an attack, including credential theft, data breaches and system compromise.

Those threats can emerge anywhere across the payments ecosystem, from merchants and card issuers to acquirers and payment service providers, with stolen data often ending up on illicit marketplaces before being used for fraud.

Detecting Threats Earlier

“Fraud is often the result of cyber attacks that are not identified in time,” said Nikos Petrakis, Country Manager of Visa in Greece.

“With the Visa Threat Intelligence Platform, we are helping financial institutions identify risks earlier and respond more effectively before they evolve into fraud or financial losses.”

According to Petrakis, combining cybersecurity intelligence with payment data enables financial institutions to strengthen customer protection, reduce fraud-related losses and reinforce trust in digital payments.

Developed Inside Visa’s Own Network

Visa said the platform was created by its internal cybersecurity teams and tested across the company’s global payments network before being offered to customers.

The company says it blocks around 90 million cyberattacks and 11 million phishing emails every month across more than 200 countries as part of its efforts to maintain uninterrupted payment services.

Built For Financial Institutions

VTIP is designed for cybersecurity, fraud prevention and risk management teams.

Its capabilities include detecting malware and indicators of compromise, identifying organisation-specific vulnerabilities, monitoring brand impersonation, protecting executives and employees from identity-based attacks, and identifying stolen payment credentials circulating on the dark web.

By combining multiple intelligence sources, the platform helps financial institutions prioritise risks and respond before cyber incidents escalate into large-scale fraud.

Growing Investment In Payment Security

The launch reflects Visa’s broader investment in cybersecurity as digital payment ecosystems become increasingly complex. The company said it has invested more than $13 billion over the past five years in technologies designed to strengthen network security and reduce fraud.

As cyber threats continue to evolve, Visa aims to give financial institutions access to the same intelligence capabilities it uses to protect its own global payments infrastructure.

Cyprus Expects More French Visitors In 2027 As Air Capacity Expands

Cyprus expects more French visitors in 2027 as airlines increase capacity between the two countries, Tourism Deputy Minister Kostas Koumis said after meetings with tour operators in Paris.

France, one of Cyprus’ key tourism markets, has had a difficult 2026. French arrivals fell 46% year over year to 8,453 in August, from 15,663 a year earlier, according to the Statistical Service of Cyprus (Cystat). August arrivals were also nearly 50% below the 16,798 recorded in the same month of 2024.

Overall, Cyprus received 2.82 million tourist arrivals between January and August, down 7% from the same period in 2025.

Air Connectivity Supports 2027 Outlook

Koumis discussed the 2027 outlook with senior executives from tour operators offering Cyprus holidays during the IFTM Top Resa travel trade fair in Paris.

Higher air capacity between France and Cyprus was a key focus of the talks. Participants also discussed the impact of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East on the French market and Cyprus’ efforts to adapt its tourism offering to French travelers.

“The French market is undoubtedly an extremely important market for our country’s tourism,” Koumis said, adding that France had regained importance only a few years ago and still had room to grow.

Improved air connectivity will be an important factor in that expansion, according to Koumis. “It is now clear that air connectivity between France and Cyprus is improving significantly, which is a basic prerequisite for the further growth of the market,” he said.

Cyprus Promotes Tourism And Regional Cooperation

Koumis attended the opening of IFTM Top Resa at the invitation of French Tourism Minister Serge Papin, who later visited the Cyprus stand. Held from Sept. 15 to 17 at Paris Porte de Versailles, the event brought together more than 32,000 tourism professionals representing 177 destinations and 1,650 brands, according to organizers.

During his visit, Koumis also met Egyptian Tourism Minister Sherif Fathy. Cyprus and Egypt reaffirmed their tourism cooperation and discussed opportunities to strengthen ties further.

French media interviews covered Cyprus’ tourism offering, infrastructure and services, along with efforts to develop specialized tourism products. Regional instability weighed on arrivals in 2026, particularly during the spring, although the decline narrowed over the summer.

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