BBVA, a financial services company based in Spain, has partnered with Telefónica to integrate advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and process automation into its global cybersecurity operations. This collaboration leverages the expertise of Telefónica Tech, the digital services sector of the Madrid-based telecom group, to enhance BBVA’s cybersecurity capabilities on a global scale. A new digital twin facility in Mexico will replicate BBVA’s existing cybersecurity center in Spain.
Telefónica Tech stated, “The combination of the two will provide comprehensive and uninterrupted coverage for the entire group… [BBVA] will incorporate the latest [tech] advances… to detect, identify, and respond to potential threats, as well as to monitor the activity of cyber-attackers.” The solution includes “almost 50 services,” focusing on threat detection, operational resilience, and protection of data processing centers.
The Mexican center, fully operational this month, will oversee BBVA’s activities in the Americas, working alongside the Spanish center. This joint operation involves around 200 cybersecurity professionals safeguarding digital customers across over 25 countries. The venture positions Telefónica Tech as a significant cybersecurity partner for BBVA, reinforcing one of the largest cybersecurity centers in the financial industry.
Sergio Fidalgo, BBVA’s chief information and security officer, emphasized, “These two hubs specializing in cybersecurity are unique in the financial industry and represent a new step towards protecting our infrastructures with the latest technological advances. Our goal is to be a bank that is increasingly secure and prepared to respond to all types of attacks and to offer the best service to our customers with the best security guarantees in the market.”
María Jesús Almazor, Telefónica Tech’s chief operating officer, added, “It is a pleasure to accompany BBVA in this process of global security with our technological capabilities and the talent of our professionals, who are backed by a global network of more than 1,500 experts in cybersecurity operations and more than ten security operations centers (SOCs) across Europe and the Americas to monitor and oversee the security of organizations 24×7.”
