PCI SSC Council Announces Feedback Period For PCI DSS

PRESS RELEASE

WAKEFIELD, Mass., June 24, 2009 —The PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC), a global, open industry standards body providing management of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), PIN Entry Device (PED) Security Requirements and the Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS), today announced upcoming feedback opportunities that are part of the Council's transparent, standards management lifecycle process. During phase two of the lifecycle process, between July 1 and November 1, 2009, merchants, processors, financial institutions and other key stakeholders have the opportunity to provide detailed and actionable feedback in an effort to revise future editions of the Council's standards to improve payment data security.

This year the Council will roll out an online feedback tool to make it easier for organizations to prepare feedback on the PCI DSS and PA-DSS standards on up to five key areas of their choosing. This form will be distributed electronically on July 1 to the Council's more than 600 Participating Organizations. As part of the ongoing feedback process, the Council is also announcing the dates and locations for its annual Community Meetings, where stakeholders, such as retailers and banks, have an opportunity to proactively propose and discuss revisions to the next iteration of the Council's standards. The Council will host two events, one in North America and one in Europe, ensuring broad global discussion of the PCI security standards among stakeholders. Event dates and locations are:

North America: September 22-24, 2009 Mandalay Bay Las Vegas, Nevada Europe: October 26-28, 2009 Prague Marriott Prague, Czech Republic

The Community Meetings play a significant role in the Council's standards lifecycle management process and help foster broad debate on the evolution of PCI Standards. At the Community Meetings, attendees can participate in sessions focused on different industry, technology and geographical challenges to share their views and provide guidance. Attendees will also hear from industry experts on the latest issues surrounding payment card security and receive updates from the Council, as well as the Board of Advisors and the Council's Special Interest Groups, both made up of members chosen by the Council's Participating Organizations. The meetings will also include special sessions for Qualified Security Assessors (QSAs) and Approved Scanning Vendors (ASVs) as part of a pre-conference workshop on September 22 in North America and a post-conference workshop October 28 in Europe.

"The Community Meetings are the highlight of our year, where stakeholders from across the globe partner to evolve the PCI standards and work together toward a more secure payment environment," said Bob Russo, General Manager of the PCI Security Standards Council. "For the PCI Security Standards to continue to be effective in protecting cardholder data, we must continue to solicit and represent the voices of payment chain stakeholders worldwide. We do this through a structured, but flexible, lifecycle and feedback process that provides critical input on future PCI security standards."

During the Council's first feedback period, 150 organizations from around the world participated. Now, with more than 600 Participating Organizations, the Council expects a significant increase in global participants and a lively and thorough examination and discussion on the next version of PCI DSS and PA-DSS. This feedback will be managed in accordance with the PCI DSS Lifecycle, which ensures a planned and structured introduction of new standards and provides lead time for stakeholders to make any necessary changes to their systems. More information about the PCI DSS Lifecycle is available on the Council's Web site at https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/pdfs/OS_PCI_Lifecycle.pdf.

Attendance at the PCI SSC sponsored Community Meetings is open to all current Participating Organizations, QSAs, ASVs and PED laboratories. Registration is complimentary for up to two named contacts at Participating Organizations and one complimentary registration for all others. Registration details for both meetings will be communicated to Council Participating Organizations in early July.

For More Information: For more information on the PCI Security Standards Council, please visit www.pcisecuritystandards.org or contact the PCI SSC Secretariat for any questions or concerns regarding the Community Meetings at [email protected].

About the PCI Security Standards Council The mission of the PCI Security Standards Council is to enhance payment account security by driving education and awareness of the PCI Data Security Standard and other standards that increase payment data security.

The PCI Security Standards Council was formed by the major payment card brands American Express, Discover Financial Services, JCB International, MasterCard Worldwide and Visa Inc. to provide a transparent forum in which all stakeholders can provide input into the ongoing development, enhancement and dissemination of the PCI Data Security Standard (DSS), PIN Entry Device (PED) Security Requirements and the Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS). Merchants, banks, processors and other vendors are encouraged to join as participating organizations.