NOUV Appointed Exclusive Partner for UnderDefense in Malta to Strengthen Cyber Security and Regulatory Compliance Services

The partnership combines AI-powered security operations with local regulatory, assurance, and PCI DSS expertise for Malta’s financial services, iGaming, and international business sectors.

Valletta, Malta, 29 July 2026

NOUV, Malta’s multidisciplinary advisory and assurance firm, today announced that it has been appointed the exclusive partner for UnderDefense in Malta.

The partnership brings together UnderDefense’s AI-powered security operations and incident response capabilities with NOUV’s local expertise in governance, regulatory compliance, assurance, and PCI DSS assessments. Together, the companies will help organisations strengthen cyber resilience, protect critical digital assets, and demonstrate effective security controls to boards, auditors, and regulators.

The appointment comes as regulatory scrutiny of digital operational resilience continues to intensify across Europe. DORA has applied to financial entities since January 2025, while Malta’s framework implementing NIS2 took effect on 23 January 2026. Organisations within scope must now demonstrate not only that appropriate policies and controls exist, but that they can detect, manage, document, and report cyber incidents effectively.

UnderDefense operates an Agentic AI SOC: a vendor-agnostic security operations platform designed to integrate with a client’s existing SIEM, EDR, cloud, identity, and security infrastructure without requiring the organisation to replace or consolidate its current technology stack.

Built for the heterogeneous, multi-vendor environments commonly found in financial services, iGaming, and other regulated industries, the platform combines autonomous AI-driven alert triage with oversight from experienced human security analysts. UnderDefense provides a two-minute alert triage target and a 15-minute escalation SLA for confirmed incidents.

UnderDefense MAXI Compliance AI complements the operational security service by mapping security controls and supporting evidence to frameworks including DORA, NIS2, and PCI DSS. This helps organisations maintain structured evidence records and produce audit-ready compliance documentation based on their actual security operations.

Through the partnership, NOUV clients will gain access to an integrated security and compliance capability covering the full lifecycle from threat detection and incident response to assurance and regulatory reporting.

UnderDefense will provide the operational security layer, including continuous monitoring, threat detection, investigation, and incident response. NOUV will provide the local governance, compliance, and assurance expertise required to translate operational security data into credible reporting for management teams, auditors, and regulatory authorities.

As a Qualified Security Assessor Company recognised by the PCI Security Standards Council, NOUV is also authorised to perform formal PCI DSS assessments and support organisations in validating compliance with payment-card security requirements.

The partnership will provide clients with access to:

Managed security operations

• 24/7 Security Operations Centre services powered by UnderDefense Agentic AI SOC
• Continuous threat monitoring and AI-assisted alert triage
• Threat detection and proactive threat hunting
• Incident response and digital forensics
• Penetration testing and vulnerability management

Compliance and assurance

• PCI DSS assessments and compliance support
• DORA readiness and digital operational resilience advisory
• NIS2 advisory and implementation support
• ISO/IEC 27001 ISMS implementation and certification support
• GDPR compliance and data protection advisory
• Security governance, risk assessments, and regulatory reporting

Compliance automation and evidence management

• DORA, NIS2, and PCI DSS control mapping
• Structured compliance evidence collection
• Audit-ready documentation and reporting
• Cybersecurity awareness and professional training

Andrew Naudi, Managing Partner at NOUV, said:

“This partnership gives organisations in Malta access to a combination that is increasingly important in regulated markets: strong operational security capabilities supported by local governance, compliance, and assurance expertise.

“Financial services firms, iGaming operators, and other regulated businesses must be able to demonstrate that their security controls work in practice. Together with UnderDefense, we can help clients detect and respond to threats while also maintaining the evidence, documentation, and governance structures expected by boards, auditors, and regulators.

“We are delighted to formalise our relationship with UnderDefense and become its exclusive partner in Malta.”

Nazar Tymoshyk, CEO and Founder of UnderDefense, said:

“Financial services and iGaming organisations are high-value targets for ransomware groups and other financially motivated threat actors. At the same time, DORA, NIS2, and PCI DSS are raising expectations around how organisations manage, document, and demonstrate their response to cyber incidents.

“Operational resilience must be measurable and defensible. UnderDefense provides the detection, investigation, response, and incident evidence. NOUV brings the local regulatory, governance, and assurance expertise needed to turn that operational record into credible reporting for management, auditors, and regulators.

“Together, we are giving organisations in Malta a practical way to improve security operations and regulatory readiness without forcing them to replace the technology investments they have already made.”

About NOUV

NOUV is a multidisciplinary advisory, assurance, accounting, and audit firm established in 2008.

Headquartered in Malta, with offices in Saudi Arabia and the Philippines, NOUV supports regulated entities, government bodies, SMEs, and international corporate clients across business strategy, accounting, taxation, risk management, regulatory compliance, information security, and corporate governance.

NOUV is an independent provider of information security assurance, regulatory compliance reporting, advisory services, and technical security testing. The firm supports organisations operating in highly regulated industries, including financial services, iGaming, technology, and other sectors subject to rigorous governance, risk, and control requirements.

As a Qualified Security Assessor Company recognised by the PCI Security Standards Council, NOUV conducts PCI DSS assessments and helps organisations establish, validate, and maintain compliance with payment-card security requirements.

NOUV
Triq MRO Frank Galea
Żebbuġ ZBG 9019
Malta
https://nouv.com

About UnderDefense

UnderDefense is a global cybersecurity company operating across the United States, Europe, and international markets.

Its Agentic AI SOC is an open, vendor-agnostic security operations platform that integrates with clients’ existing SIEM, EDR, cloud, identity, and security infrastructure. The platform combines autonomous AI-driven triage with experienced human analysts who retain decision authority over confirmed incidents and response actions.

UnderDefense serves organisations across multiple industries, including financial services, healthcare, technology, telecommunications, and the public sector.

UnderDefense
111 John Street, Suite 420
New York, NY 10038
United States
Tel: +1 (929) 999-5101
https://underdefense.com/ 

Media Contact

Júlia Pamplona
Marketing Executive, NOUV
jicksia@nouv.com