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ABA: The American Bankers Association

Paul Benda

Executive Vice President, Risk, Fraud & Cybersecurity

Paul Benda

Paul Benda is Executive Vice President for Risk, Fraud and Cybersecurity at the American Bankers Association. Since joining the ABA in 2018, he has led the association’s initiatives on fraud prevention, cybersecurity, physical security, and information security. He also serves as spokesperson for the banking industry on these issues and has testified before the U.S. Congress on multiple occasions. Additionally, Paul currently serves as Chair of the International Banking Federation Scams and Fraud Working Group.

Previously, Paul held senior leadership roles in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where he was Director of the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency. He also served in the U.S. Department of Defense, where he was responsible for the design and installation of all security systems at the Pentagon and served as a DARPA Program Manager leading advanced research and development initiatives focused on national security and emerging threats.

Paul began his career as an active-duty officer in the United States Air Force, later worked in the private sector as a consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton, before returning to public service.

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  • Press Statement
    ABA Statement on Passage of Nebraska Anti-Fraud Legislation

    April 20, 2026

  • Guide
    Fraud and Scams Recent Trend and Initiatives

    July 25, 2025

  • Press Statement
    Applauds FCC Vote to Issue Proposal Strengthening Call Authentication

    April 28, 2025

    “We applaud the FCC for voting unanimously to issue a proposal to tighten call authentication rules.

  • Staff Analysis
    ABA FAQs on Impact on Banks of President Biden’s COVID-19 Action Plan

    September 28, 2021

    In response to bankers' questions, ABA has prepared the following 'Frequently Asked Questions' (FAQ) about the Action Plan.

  • Guide
    How to Mitigate Risks from the Delta Variant

    August 19, 2021

    The rapid spread of the COVID-19 variant is changing the game for banks. Learn the best ways to protect your institution, employees, and customers.

  • Comment Letter
    ABA Letter to CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices: "Essential" Workers

    December 10, 2020

    Since the beginning of the pandemic, the American Bankers Association has been working closely with public health agencies including the CDC to ensure that the banking industry maintains the highest level of safety for the nation's two million bank employees and the millions of customers they serve every day. We greatly appreciate the guidance and support we have received from the CDC and other agencies, and we are pleased to report that the banking system has remained open and operational throughout the pandemic. We are proud of the dedicated bank employees who have stepped up to this challenge, and in some cases put themselves at risk to ensure Americans can continue to access their accounts as needed.

  • Guide
    Confronting COVID-19: An Analysis of Surface Contamination Risks

    April 08, 2020

    Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have acknowledged that SARS-CoV-2(also known as COVID-19 or the novel coronavirus) is a new disease and they are still learning how itspreads. This paper was created to outline the recent science behind the transmissibility of the virusthat could lead to infection. While not intended specifically for the unique challenges facing banks,it does contain information that all bank employees could find helpful in reducing risk to staff andcustomers, especially when they utilize an ATM.

  • Staff Analysis
    Staff Analysis: COVID-19 & Banking FAQ for Members

    March 19, 2020

    ABA’s COVID-19 FAQ contains answers that we have gathered to bankers’ frequently asked questions about the coronavirus pandemic and the impact it’s having on the banking industry.

  • Staff Analysis
    COVID-19 & Banking FAQs

    March 19, 2020

    ABA experts answer frequently asked questions around Coronavirus (COVID019) and banking

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