Jude Fils-Aime of Verizon Financial Services joins Tommy Marshall the Executive Director of the Georgia Fintech Academy along with Sabrina Netters and Amiralca Johnson of Albany State. This discussion delves into the importance of cybersecurity in fintech with special consideration of the mobile device and the exciting development of the 5G network.
Jude Fils-Aime of Verizon Financial Services joins Tommy Marshall the Executive Director of the Georgia Fintech Academy along with Sabrina Netters and Amiralca Johnson of Albany State. This discussion delves into the importance of cybersecurity in fintech with special consideration of the mobile device and the exciting development of the 5G network.
spk_1: 0:05
Welcome to the Georgia Fintech Academy podcast. The Georgia Fintech Academy is a co operation between Georgia's FINTECH industry and the university System of Georgia. This talent development initiative addresses a massive demand for fintech professionals and gives learners. The specialized education experience is needed to enter the fin tech sector body.
spk_0: 0:28
This is Tommy Marshall, the executive director of the Georgia Fintech Academy. Welcome to Episode six of the Georgia Fintech Academy podcast. Today's April the Knight's 2020. I'm really fortunate to have three visitors and our participants in our podcast today on before we get to introductions. We just want to continue to mark the historical significance of what's happening in the world right now with the Corona virus covered. 19. Public Health Crisis Azad. Today there's one million, 347,000 cases worldwide and 434,000 of those cases are in the U. S. New York state. New York City Every continues for a second week in a row, third week in a row, to be an epicenter in the United States, I will say, for the first time in the last 24 hours, there's been a few glimmers of good news about doctors thinking that could be our public health officials thinking there could be some flattening of the curves. So certainly hoping that we might be reaching a peak here in the next week, week or two. But let's talk about Fintech. So today again, as I mentioned, we have three guests, and first I want to turn dude on. Let himself do thanks for being with us today. It was
spk_2: 2:00
a pleasure, Tommy. And thank you for the invitation. I definitely appreciate you thinking of me, and I hope I can contribute some value to the podcast. Good evening. Good afternoon. Good morning, everyone. Mom, my name is Judy Fees. Um, may I? I'm currently a client partner in security solutions for for Verizon. And I recently transitioned from a solutions architect, but primarily in both roles. I support the enterprise, right Fortune 1000 customers in the fintech space. So that's your brick and mortar banks. Your payment processors on DDE What we call your FBI's or financial institutions. Andi in that role a cz. The name implies security solutions, solutions, architect. My part. My primary objective is to help solve business challenges. Those challenges range from just pure connectivity to securing the enterprise, securing their connections, helping them speed to market with with some of their value ads for their customers. It runs runs the gamut of what an enterprise needs to do to stay relevant. In this day and age, I've been with Horizon will be 10 years in May, and I've been part of the Fintech community for probably about that time. About 10 years working with you, Tommy with, you know, with frantic Academy with with the different organizations local to Atlanta. So here in Atlanta, but nationally, eso Thank you for the opportunity on dhe. Look for a great conversation.
spk_0: 3:44
Great. Thanks for being on. Yeah, I was just remembering that I was thinking. I mean, your name was one of the when I moved to Atlanta a little over 10 years ago. It started. Get involved in system in Georgia. I remember your name was one of the first that I always always with two students with us today from Albany State College and America. Tell us about you. Um,
spk_3: 4:17
thank you for this opportunity. My name is America Dress, and I am a student at Albany State. University, and my major is computer science with magnetic emphasis. And I am also a part of their natures program at Albany State. And with that, we study Blockchain machine learning. Um Deva Science with aren't Watson and also and Emma part of different clubs and all many states we Well, I am a part of their blood changing after what? My scene and also the Association of Computer Machinery. Also, nothing is a CM, and I am just having a great time in Albany state. And I am hopefully, um, pursuing my career as a subway developer at the aggression.
spk_0: 5:20
Be engaged with the Georgia Fintech account. Me separated matters tell us about yourself.
spk_1: 5:28
Um, hello. Uh, thank you for inviting me here, giving me this opportunity to be on this platform. My name is Sabrina Letters. It's in Albany State University. I'm a junior majoring in computer science with the mathematics emphasis, um, I first started getting in so authentic when they started that when Albany state started their nexus degree program. Um, so far, I've taken Blockchain machine learning and data science. Lives aren't pipe bomb. They're just have one more to go. So let's hope I'm able to finish that. But, um, check has always been interesting to me. I attended a lot of the conferences, but I'm like a miracle. I've also a part of many organizations, including a cm, the Blockchain teen, and we just started Ah, Nestle Robotics team that I'm also a part of. So far, everything is going great. And I'm enjoying my time A cop in the State University.
spk_0: 6:20
Awesome. Thanks for being here. And I should say, I got to know Sabrina in America just a little bit Way were running a so a vintage cybersecurity building on, um last month. And Sabrina and America were both on the Albany State team is part of that competition. And I guess also a special call out is warranted to Dr Rub. Robert O. R. Who is just a phenomenal professor and leader and Albany State and has just been really fantastic about getting Albany State wonderful students like you all involved with the with the efforts of the Georgia Friend Academy. So we we have the good fortune of Ju being with us and having tons of depth in this area of cyber security. On then, of course, Sabrina and America. You've both been in the myths of the cyber security bill with Ana on that team. So we call that we would spend a part of our conversation here sort of unpacking this topic of cybersecurity and exploring that from from a couple of from a couple of angels. So maybe maybe Jude, if you don't mind kicking things off and just when you when you're in your work and with what you're doing for rising and what you know with your clients you know this cybersecurity top, it can be expanses and broad. How do you How do you define that topic area?
spk_2: 8:11
Yeah, No, I think one of the main things that needs to happen is to speak the same language, right to throw all kind of suppositions and assumptions out of the window and come to ah, common understanding. So your cyber security in and of itself, right is securing the ethos. If you will write things nebulous thing called the Internet right and networking and anything that is attached to a network right from a user from a device from an application right to the cloud, right. The cloud big marketing term, which is you know the network on on steroids, if you will. When you know, broken the conversation of cyber security, we get the common language out of the way, right? You know, to make sure that we're not speaking past each other or just taking things for granted. When I'm engaging with my customers, one of the main things I like to kind of get out of the way is what is their posture? My posture. I mean, you know what is their risk? Appetite, if you will. There's an inherent risk when you connect any device in the user and the application to any network. And with that said, depending on what, Especially here in the in the fintech space, because we're talking about, you know, personal, identifiable information we're talking about, you know, fiduciary transactions. That is tantamount. There is no conversation that I have with my financial customers that doesn't start and end with with security. So I start the conversation on what is that posture? You know, what is your risk appetite? What is it that you're trying to protect? And there's a term that we use in the industry and that we use in cyber security is What are the crown jewels you're trying to protect? Right. So from a payment processor, the crown jewels they're trying to protect is one their secret sauce. How they process payments from a financial institution like a brick and mortar bank. Some of the crown jewels are trying to protect. Obviously, is the money on that gets transacted and then you have the ancillary and not that they're less important, but the other. What we call f eyes financial institutions that provides service is to both the brick and mortar and the payment processes. And what are the crown jewels they're trying to protect? So when we when we talk about what is most important to them, you know some of the things that come up or their brand reputation, obviously, customer customer trust trust is one of the biggest terms thrown around inside the security versus, you know, trusting the institution, trusting the user, right, trusting the transaction. So we really level said, by having a conversation, obviously one around definitions into about what's most important to them and what they're trying to solve again. In my role as a solutions architect on a security solution specialist is what is it we're trying to solve. So getting those three major buckets, if you will on the table is where I'd like to, you know, predominantly. Start with my conversations
spk_0: 11:36
that make that makes a lot of sense. And s o so bring up, like I know I mean, you were you in America and your team and out because they were starting to work on your cyber security building on prototype. It's you. There were several of these elements that I think you were considering frost in and protection in your use case. But tell us a little bit about that. The use case that you all were working towards and what the security considerations were.
spk_1: 12:13
Only for starters, our project is my girlfriend. That cash will, um it's an application created for students by students. And our goal is to increase the financial literacy of college students and our peers some in a level, students to Barbara land and invest money amongst themselves. One of the issues, of course, dealing with money people's personal information is a security who also like for user's to trust our application. So we've decided to, um, utilize Blockchain as a way to build that security and that trist amongst the students
spk_0: 12:50
America jump in here and tell us about that decision to involve Blockchain. What? What? What was the discussion there and why did you all think that was an interesting technology to use an enabling the thing application?
spk_3: 13:09
Well, we shows a Blockchain because is highly sicker, Ali Trust where the immutable and also it has smart country. It's so we figured that we applied it to our project, then uses will feel comfortable with lending and borrowing through our platform. And they won't have to worry about fraud. Hacker is hacking into our systems because we have that blood shame as being our project.
spk_0: 13:42
I'm interested, Thio. What extent? Where you all are able to do any customer discovery with other students typically around these security questions. Was that part of what you what you all got into? You have time for that?
spk_1: 14:06
Uh um, for our project womb, we didn't really have Hi. I'm truly through it. Um, project him has actually been going on for a long time. It was started before you even got there with some students. We're just getting started building onto it and, uh mostly did surveys asking if students would actually enjoy this application and got, like, around, I think above, like, 80% satisfaction rate with it. So we decided, of course, a lot of students we're gonna be using this. We need to ah, you know, make it better. And what's the care for students to
spk_0: 14:39
you? Yeah, So tell us a little bit more. And I know people like Manju way here, more arm or about Gen Z, which you all, of course, are here. The You're the beginning of the jinn Z generation as juniors in college right now. And so we know your your generation is gonna be have a massive impact on financialservices products and how those products are delivered. And what the capabilities are in financial service is there's a There's a strong belief that your generation is really gonna have a remarkable impact on financial service is intact, all of it. And so I guess I've got at the moment sort of insatiable appetite recut, understand? How do you think about financial service is and why? And you know what's interesting and what what could be compelling? Not that you need to answer all these questions now, but the is there were one or two things that has you all been working on your application have been very important to you from a user perspective, a CZ You've been thinking about it.
spk_3: 16:05
I was saying, without project for my user, Prince Bates here knowing that has that watching respect, sir, Any so know that when I am put my information that, uh, it won't be going into where ill. So say that my information is private and it's occurred in that platform. And also our project has convenience. So it's kind of it kind of go hand in hand because if it's convenient, then more people will be able to land and invest and borrow so they won't have to go off to as their family member, because they have someone right there is able to lend him the money during the time that they needed
spk_0: 17:06
of as important attributes the year to your users. I
spk_2: 17:14
was gonna just just time in there there, Tommy, that with Gen z on, even for the old school like like me. And I'm like, I leave you out of it here, Tommy. But I had an interesting conversation with the data Sinus, probably five years ago if not Maur. And he said that on because I do work for Horizon, we've kind of made put the disclaimer out there, He said Verizon is a unique position because most of data that's input in financial transactions or pretty much anything is in that device right in that smartphone in that tablet would have you and couple that with Mogens ease like Sabrina in America that Ah, nde. I'm calling you ladies out that sleep with their phone, right? Like the phone is right there by their bed. That is the, um the mode that they live in, right? It's the first thing they see when they wake up in touch. And the last thing that they touch before you know they go to sleep. Right? So that device on dhe, obviously you leveraging Blockchain as as a secure framework is phenomenal. Right? Because no longer are we really not you sitting in front of ah machine waiting to get home to conduct a financial transaction to reached out to your bank or what have you You're doing it right there on the spot. It's real time to America's point it's convenient, and there's gotta be an implied level of trust within that transaction. So I have soft to you on the product. It's working on you, really tying in the best of all, the world's right, the convenience of the application, the convenience of the device and having that built in that building that built in trust with With With Blockchain
spk_0: 19:20
eso Sabrina, what is your favorite thing about your phone?
spk_1: 19:29
I was gonna say that it's just like a miniature computer in my hand. I could do everything with it. And plus, I got a cute phone case so that we're getting
spk_0: 19:42
somewhere about you here. Like, what's your what do you love about your?
spk_3: 19:53
I would say that can do so many things with the like pe Peter's takes. Look up information, and I also like Diallo outs. And that says them quickly.
spk_0: 20:06
Yeah, how many pictures do you take a day?
spk_3: 20:11
Well, it's a lot. Maybe it's a good name. Maybe like swimming. I have something planned for that day because he loved to take pictures, and that's why I don't have stories in my phone is taking the beaches
spk_2: 20:32
you know how to solve with storage problem, right? Get, get, get, Get more Were never, no matter what the platform device, what we're doing, you're always gonna need more more storage, right?
spk_0: 20:48
Dude, tell us about, um so So, like five g. This'd is a massive focus of investment for horizon right now. Oh, yeah, be. You know, the few demos I've seen are just kind of mind blowing in the hell. Like how? How do you think about cyber security in the context of five G, or how should we be thinking about? Or should we be thinking about secretary differently in a in a five G network landscape?
spk_2: 21:28
Absolutely not. Think about it differently. A security on before he's not going away any time soon. The 44 g is great. The interesting thing with five g is Verizon. When we came into the fold, we were one of the thought leaders in rolling out five g Was security needed to be inherent, right? You know, throughout the Verizon's history and most recent history relative to, you know, buying Maur more spectrum, looking at looking 10 years down the road because we really started our five g conversation internally about at least seven plus years ago. And security was always tantamount because of the what we call currencies of five G, right, Massive massive band with low latent see ubiquitous ubiquity among, you know, some of the other what we call currencies. So security had to be top of mind because now you're able to connect at a massive, massive rate of speed virtually anywhere on that chipset or that device that you're going to connect with is gonna have Maur APS more network accessibility. So when we started talking five g five, security was obviously outside of the other. Benefits was top of mind. And you could imagine you'd mentioned at the top of the program where we are in the state, right with growing virus covert 19 The way we connect, the way we communicate where we transact this is becoming the new new new norm, right? Right now, before us on this podcast and we're on video video tools and the increase. The appetite is insatiable relative to ban with right. So when this kind of pandemic rolled out, way started keeping our stats right, stats across the network and you could imagine the number of texts that increased was tantamount to more that more than nine billion text Bailey from wireless calls calls increased relative to you know where they were from. A regular standpoint of a called oration also increase. We look at the increase of collaboration tools like I don't know if I could name names, but they run the gamut. There were some increases upwards of 800% so the network had to be able to support that right, the Legacy Network and obviously the network that we're rolling out. So when we think of five G, we think of the applications. We think of telemedicine we think of from a financial institution. We think of when, when? When, When all this settles right when when you, me and America and Sabrina go to a game when we're all on our phones during, you know, breaking the activity and with Donald and naps and where we're live streaming whatever the case is, what that means to the network, obviously from just a capacity perspective. But making sure that each and every one of those transactions happens is secure and brings value to the end user cause otherwise, what happens right? You go to a website you can get to it, you need to stop and you go somewhere else. So to answer your questions security, the mindset has become more focused, as opposed to just oh, security will take care of itself. I think one of the things that we've been guilty of a CZ consumers is We get a device which we stand it up, get to the network and securities The last thing we want to think about. I think from us consumer perspective, especially because this is becoming the new norm and because we'll be conducting Maur transactions, financial transactions, more personally identifiable information will be out there ve arising from our perspective where kind of allaying those fears and helping you relative t bringing that Maur into the forefront of when you do transact.
spk_0: 25:49
No, that's and that's exciting to think about you out as he continues to roll because evermore present in our lives
spk_2: 26:03
we'll use cases are just I mean, we just scratched the surface, right? I just mentioned telemedicine is one artificial intelligence Robotics. One of the big things on guy. See Sabrina smiling. I think she's a gamer, but gamers love the little agency aspect of a five g right. But the more we uncover and then what? We have conversations with the Sabrina's in America's and, quite frankly, the Tommies over the world. We realized that with five g, there is just so much to do. And at this one of the funniest questions I've got about five g and this is from a data scientist was, Well, when is variety in rolling out six g? So everyone is thinking about Maur in light of what they have now thing keeps growing.
spk_0: 26:57
But what gets me excited Thio is like you told me, Jew that like 90% of Gen z Fintech or financialservices interactions wrong the mobile device. And so all right, so that's a fact. I mean, does that seem right to you, Sabrina America, like, if you're engaging with a bank or a brokerage from any sort of financial service is product payment products. Are you typically almost follow is doing at three mobile device. Yes, it is. And so, you know, you think that's gonna continue, and then we get this amazing new network capabilities, they're gonna become more and more available on, and then the devices themselves are becoming more powerful ever more powerful. Uh, and we've got these different modalities in regards to gaming and video and America or 20 photos and their inputs. You can begin to put together in ways he never been able to put together before as financialservices providers of product and capability. And it just there's gonna be, I think just another massive wave of creativity and innovation come forward in our industry that I'm excited. Thio, see how that evolves? I
spk_2: 28:35
think just on that 0.1 of the use cases that one of the major banks was looking at the leverage five g was in their wealth management division where they were looking at on this will be America and Sabrina. Soon those individuals with a significant amount of wealth, they were able to leverage five G for a couple of things. One ableto model. Ah, lot quicker what 10 2050 years looks like, but not just using it as just a kind of static or linear model, if you will, where his a spreadsheet is. But it looks like you're just kind of pure numbers, but actually putting a visual aspect to that, putting artificial intelligence around a virtual reality where Not only are you seeing what the numbers look like, but they create an experience for you so you'd act, actually could see yourself retiring walking on the beach or looking at that new home or looking at whatever it is that you're looking you're saving for So one of one of the major banks pull that together and got a big deal of, of, of, of of Trent no traction behind it. Because now it added a whole level of experience that you would have to problem prior to close your eyes to envision and with the help of five g block chain, Um and you know, massive cloud computing. That's an aspect that sometimes goes on notice. Relatives of security and five G on fintech is the cloud computing power behind all of the apse behind all of the network and and for America's storing her her 20 plus. I think she's being modest photos. But you ladies tell, Tell us right the platform that block chain uses and you know, the different platforms, obviously. But the essence of it is you mentioned. One was kind of immutable transaction, you know, non repudiation. The open ledger now could you imagine everyone harnessing that power? Blockchain How do you see that coming into the fold relative to when you were pulling your applications together. Both of you, right? Yeah, Just a massive compute power that's required.
spk_0: 31:11
You wanna go first? A miracle?
spk_3: 31:14
Well, I was saying, I believe, like a lot of financial institutions and our precious will are using blood, chain and blood. Shane is really what we used right now and also so with it, I will say a lot of power is going to be contributed is all of these financial institutions are using it, so it will be a lot to distribute out. But I do also think that the significance of blood change is important for using severe, comfortable and trust in that company. That
spk_1: 31:56
album I agree with a miracle and its importance. And that, of course, we'll see that black chains growth in, especially with what's going on today. We'll see how our little grow in the medical aspect, technological aspect, manufacturing aspect. And we, of course, with that, we need toe need the power to be able to do it, um, and so actually, like, apply to different, um, things in our lives. So, yeah, I agree with them.
spk_0: 32:26
Great. Thanks for that. Let's pivot a little bit. Just wrap begin to wrap up this part of our podcast. It will reflect on the any fintech industry news from the prior week in From From the Reading I've Been Doing and the News I've been listening Thio in the In the industry. I say the dialogue has been very dominated by the payroll Protection program, which is a $350 billion piece of fiscal stimulus in the Cares at which is a $2 trillion fiscal law that was passed about, I think, almost 10 days ago on the discussions. Been around? Where does the where can banks a, of course, get How can there are volume production of these loans to small businesses, the accelerated and where What's the role that sent that can play in helping the's bank's address execution of the payroll protection program? That's been a big question mark. There's been of several of the heart banks have been asking for greater clarity in the rules around the payroll protection program, asking clarity from the government and those rules. But and then most of the large banks in the initial loves that they've been providing. They've been focusing on existing small business clients that they have a pre existing relationship with which there's been criticism about towards the banks in that regard. But I honestly is someone who has been working with or inside a lot of these institutions for a long time. I understand why they started. Um, they knew they could move faster with those clients that they have a preexisting relationship. So it, you know, I kind of understand why they made those choices get started. Any, um, thoughts there, Jude or what? Have you been following any of the payroll protection program roll out over the last 10 days?
spk_2: 34:52
Yeah. So you make a good point relative to, you know, people mourning more clarity. So, you know, from what I understand, there are upwards of, you know, close the 30,000 different institutions that will be able to help facilitate the distribution of you know, some of the funds right, And to your point, the larger incumbents have that existing relationship. But part of the downside of that, if you will, is that larger incumbents are typically slow of foot, right there, not necessarily the most nimble. And I think where Fintech comes into play eyes that they'll be able to help facilitate the expediency of moving those funds. Not only that, but also helping establish new relationships that the incumbents might have been other reluctant or unable to prior to but but also helping them. You know them, meaning these new Finn techs to get what we will call wallet share right from the larger incumbents. So there's a lot of moving parts here, right? The incumbents. You need more clarification. And I think what happens with the Fin Tex is that they're not necessarily encumbered by, you know, not obviously rules and regulation, but not necessarily encumbered by their traditional mode of thinking and motive. Operating there a lot more nimble. And they have, Ah, a new audience like America and Sabrina and a lot of the small businesses, right? You know, most of the small businesses are impacted, right? Because that's what makes up our economies is the crux of it is a small defined as being 500 I think employees the last one to be 100 employees that last so, helping reach those businesses on keeping them afloat, keeping them financially viable. Eyes gonna be a major, a major role. But the's Finn techs can play, and that's what. And I've worked on three emerges from the last year. The largest mergers in the payments is payment space in the kind of brick and mortar bank space. And they're still trying to solve that too. Right? How do we How do we assist on keeping this economy thriving?
spk_0: 37:30
A America? I'm just curious. As you know, Has this been on your radar the last couple weeks? This cares after the Federal Protection Program. I mean, is it is it been something you paid any attention to?
spk_3: 37:48
What I was saying? That I am taking the prize in the fan. Take a cabinet with insect academy. It's called foundations offensive. And right now we are learning about the partner shoot with the base and Frances How faces partner with those banks. Because if I empty, I see approval. And also to incorporate a lot change into their plant for so that you use a cane and feel comfortable is to put their foot for. So with that, I believe those things will The partnership between the base and defensive is positive. So they say, because without the bank's France it cos I believe they wouldn't be able to suit how they help in
spk_0: 38:50
go brain anything on that front in terms of the Cares actor, the payroll protection program.
spk_1: 39:00
Um, I don't think we do need more clarity on what it is what exactly is happening. And I do. I don't want to like, like more into the relationship between Finn take and the banks and how important our relationship is and how they both could benefit each other. Oh, yeah, Thea. Other piece
spk_0: 39:23
of news that grabbed my attention in the past week was that Microsoft announced a unique partnership with Platt on, and it's called Money and Excel where you can. There's an integration that they rolled out between excel and plaid that will allow us as consumers to pull information from our bank Accounts are financial institution accounts securely into excel spreadsheets. So help with personal financial management and tracking of our financials, which was kind of cool, and I'm gonna definitely check out feature you. Many of you will recall. That plan was just acquired in the last quarter by visa for well over a $1,000,000,000. A pressure quote. It was a very large acquisition, so I thought that was pretty neat. A cz Well, I
spk_2: 40:30
think that was like, if you think about just the XL, right? What what Excel does, right? It's not just, you know, a spreadsheet to list, you know? You know, I guess back in the day and and I think Sabrina in a miracle laugh is not just a a program. Tow this CDs, right? But it's a powerful tool, right? I mean, you could just the power within excel, right from the formulas, from data basing and things of that nature, I think the ability to have it. And it's always been able to call out to the Internet to pull data. It's a send data. I think that was just a phenomenal move on Microsoft's part. Thio leverage that relationship. Well,
spk_0: 41:25
listen, let's wrap things up there. I, um, thanks so much for being part of this podcast. Sabrina America. It's wonderful to have your engagement with George's Academy, and thanks for joining in this discussion. Let us know any way we can help you as the door the academy and continue to educational career and
spk_1: 41:53
thank you so much.
spk_2: 41:59
I extend myself to you ladies as well. If you have any question, tiny time has my information. I'll be Thio reckon. Assists
spk_1: 42:08
you do. The Georgia Fintech Academy Podcasts are available on iTunes and Spotify. To obtain additional information about the Georgia Fintech Academy, please visit our website at Georgia fintech academy dot org's.