Mastercard has expanded its cybersecurity services with an agreement to acquire global threat intelligence company Recorded Future for USD 2.65 billion. Recorded Future is a threat intelligence company, with more than 1,900 clients across 75 countries, including the governments of 45 countries and over 50% of the Fortune 100.

It provides real-time visibility into potential threats by analysing a broad set of data sources to provide insights towards mitigating risks. This ability, coupled with Recorded Future’s use of AI and other best-in-class technologies, will add to Mastercard’s identity, fraud prevention, real-time decisioning, and cybersecurity services. The need for a holistic, global cyber defence has grown exponentially.

As new technologies are introduced and adopted, there is a rising risk of cyber threats. In 2024, cybercrime is projected to cost USD 9.2 trillion globally. Officials from Mastercard said trust is the foundation of any relationship.

Recorded Future adds to how they deliver that greater peace of mind before, during, and after the payment transaction. Together they will innovate faster, create smarter models, and anticipate emerging threats before cyberattacks can take place – in payments and beyond. Strengthening cyber defence with AI Both Mastercard and Recorded Future use AI to analyse billions of data points to identify potential threats, helping to protect people and businesses.

Bringing these teams, technology and expertise together will enable the development of even more robust practices and drive greater synergies in cybersecurity and intelligence. Recorded Future has been a pioneer in using AI-powered analytics to generate insights that are easily accessible and understood by customers. The technology also increases Recorded Future customers’ efficiency and effectiveness in using the platform to inform how they address the risks identified.

The companies’ customers – including those in new verticals – will benefit from enhanced insights to fuel product innovation that supports greater intelligence and security. At the same time, Mastercard’s global reach and customer base opens opportunities for Recorded Future to grow. At the time of this announcement, Recorded Future and Mastercard collaborate on an AI-supported service that alerts financial institutions more quickly and with greater accuracy when a card is likely to have been compromised.

Since its launch earlier in 2024, the service has doubled the rate in which compromised cards are identified, as compared to the same time period in 2023. The transaction, which is anticipated to close by the first quarter of 2025, is subject to regulatory review and other customary closing conditions. Source: Link .