TAC Security, a global leader in innovative Risk-Based Vulnerability Management, today announced the appointment of cyber security industry veteran Bharat Panchal to the company's Board of Directors.

As an independent director, Bharat will provide direction and mentorship for TAC Security to continue its accelerated growth momentum. With his vast experience in the cyber security landscape spanning three decades, Bharat Panchal's induction into TAC Security's Board of Directors will further fuel the company's accelerated growth journey as a global cyber security focused start-up. TAC has gained industry wide acceptance basis its distinct ESOF-based vulnerability and risk management solutions for enterprises.

Bharat has been recognised as a global thought leader for Enterprise Risk, Data Sovereignty and Cyber Security, making a mark as an architect of Digital Risk Management of India's entire Retail Payment Ecosystem and enhancing Enterprise level efficiencies at NPCI.

Bharat is currently working as a Chief Industry Relations and Regulatory Officer with Discover Financial Services - (NYSE:DFS); one of the largest payment networks in the world. Additionally, Bharat is also a Mentor- Digital Risk Management and Cyber Security at IIT Kanpur's Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre, an Academic Board Member at Sri Sri School of Cyber Peace at Sri Sri University and Member Board of Directors at Indian Investors Federation.

Bharat was with FIS Global as a Chief Risk Officer for India, Middle East and Africa. Prior to this, he was working as Chief of Risk Management for National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) for more than 8 years. He was one of the strong pillars since inception of NPCI, an umbrella organization for the entire retail payments system in India. He managed key functions like Enterprise Risk Management, Cyber Security, Operational Risk Management, Compliance, Fraud Management and AML for every product of NPCI and its ecosystem since inception. Bharat holds an MBA degree in Information Systems and has around 30 years of rich experience of risk management, mainly in the banking and telecommunication industry. Prior to NPCI, Bharat has worked with Kotak Mahindra Bank, Citibank, Reliance Communications and Tata Telecom.

Trishneet Arora, Founder and CEO TAC Security said on Bharat's appointment, "Bharat's versatile experience as a thought leader, Risk Officer, Mentor to start-ups, experience in working with stakeholders on security standards and his understanding of industry-academia dynamics, collectively adds him to be one of those rare talent in global cyber security space. Bharat has joined TAC Security's Board at the right time as we gear up to take off for our next leap of northward journey."

Bharat Panchal commented, "It is my firm belief that the cyber security ecosystem is set for exciting times ahead precipitated by surge in demand on backdrop of disruptions due to the new normal world. This calls for value chain players to deliberate over need to have an industry standard and cyber score appears as the best-fit one. Through my association with TAC Security, I intend to further propagate industry push towards this."