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US to launch new cyber security agency after Sony hacks
MUMBAI: In the wake of the Sony Pictures Entertainment cyber hacks that took place last year, the US government is forming a new agency to monitor cyber security threats, pooling and analyzing information on a spectrum of risks.
The Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center (CTIIC) will act as a central place to coordinate cyber threat intelligence from the FBI, the National Security Agency, the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies.
Quoting a government official on condition of anonymity, a Forbes media report said that the new agency will be called Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center (CTIIC), which will ‘connect the dots’ between various cyber threats to the nation so that relevant departments and agencies are aware of these threats in as close to real time as possible.
US president Barrack Obama gave utmost priority to cybersecurity after the recent hacking attacks against Sony Pictures as well as the federal government.
The White House counterterrorism coordinator, Lisa Monaco said that cyber threats to national and economic security are increasing in sophistication, scale, severity of impact. As of now, no single government agency is responsible for coordinating cyber threat assessments, sharing information among existing agencies, and providing timely intelligence to policy makers.
“The cyberthreat is one of the greatest threats we face, and policymakers and operators will benefit from having a rapid source of intelligence. It will help ensure that we have the same integrated, all-tools approach to the cyberthreat that we have developed to combat terrorism,” Monaco told The Post.
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PNB partners Kiwi to launch credit-enabled UPI for users
Targets 180 million customers; RuPay card offers 0.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent cashback
MUMBAI: Swipe, tap, or scan credit is quietly slipping into the rhythm of everyday payments, and Punjab National Bank wants in on the action. The state-run lender has partnered with Kiwi to roll out credit-enabled UPI payments for its 180 million customers, marking a significant push to blend traditional banking with India’s fast-evolving digital payments ecosystem.
At the centre of the collaboration is the launch of the PNB Kiwi Credit Card on the RuPay network. The card is designed with a digital-first approach, offering fully online onboarding and seamless integration with UPI, allowing users to transact via scan-and-pay while accessing credit.
The offering also brings in a rewards layer, with cashback ranging from 0.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent on online transactions, positioning the product as both a convenience play and a spending incentive.
The move comes as UPI continues to dominate India’s digital payments landscape, increasingly blurring the lines between debit-led transactions and credit access. For PNB, which operates over 10,000 branches around 60 per cent in semi-urban and rural areas, the partnership signals a targeted effort to extend formal credit to segments that have traditionally remained underserved.
The collaboration also reflects a broader industry shift, where banks and fintech platforms are converging to embed credit directly into payment flows, reducing friction while expanding access.
With RuPay credit cards gaining traction and UPI evolving beyond peer-to-peer transfers, the PNB–Kiwi tie-up positions both players at the intersection of scale, accessibility, and the next phase of digital finance in India.
