The core operations of "traditional" banks, such as deposit taking, are well protected from digital disruptors such as PayPal but there are threats to areas not as reliant upon the balance sheet, in payment or in provision of services, according to Deloitte partner Ric Simes. Speaking at a Deloitte media briefing, as reported in the AFR, he said "overall the banks are in a very strong position to perform very well in a digital disrupted world." Deloitte cited NAB's UBank as a successful example of how big banks could experiment with YouTube videos and social media to engage with customers, and  "to test and learn with digital."His colleague, Deloitte Digital partner Frank Farrall, said:  "if banks want to protect themselves from disruption, they have to understand what their customers want and how to interact with banks digitally."The Deloitte partners were launching a new report "Harnessing the 'bang': Stories from the digital frontline" in which UBank features as one of four major case studies. The section on banking disruption quoted UBank's general manager, Alex Twigg, who said: "Commentators often look at UBank and see a bank that has gone digital. What I see is a business, fixated with its customers and people that offers digital banking solutions. That's how the UBank Manifesto was born."Twigg explained that UBank needed to separate itself culturally - and ultimately at a different physical location from parent NAB - while remaining part of the group. It hired non-bankers, and people with overseas experience, and was placed under the group head of strategy reporting to the chief financial officer, all part of moving away from being locked down by conventional thinking.