New Standard of Experience and Education for the | Reuters

PARK CITY, UT, Jul 15 (MARKET WIRE) -- The Society of Payment Security Professionals (SPSP)
proctored theindustry's first Certified Payment-Card Industry Security Manager (CPISM)training
and examination for more than 55 individuals. In the firstmonths since the debut of the certification,
two major acquiring banksand a Qualified Security Assessor have sent almost 100 of their
employeesthrough the training and examination. According to Dr. Heather Mark,Ph.D., Executive
Director of the Society of Payment SecurityProfessionals, "This marks the adoption of a new
standard of experienceand education for those that are involved in protecting consumer data inthe
Payment-Card Industry." "The protection of consumer data is an initiative that ProPay takes
veryseriously," said Richard Sorenson, COO of ProPay and newly minted CPISM."In having our
employees sit for both the training and the exam we areable to better inform our clients on issues of
data protection. Therigorous certification demonstrates to our clients that we take theprotection of
their data seriously, and can help them do so as well." The CPISM exam covers those knowledge
domains that have been identified byindustry experts as being critical to managing the security or
compliancefunction within the Payment-Card Industry. The domains have been validatedby industry
stakeholders including major card brands, banks, QualifiedSecurity Assessors, merchants, and
service providers to ensure relevanceand consistency. The exam was developed using accepted
educational andexam development criteria and has been rigorously tested for validity.Applicants
were tested on subjects in the following domains:(1) Payment-card industry structure(2) Paymentcard structure and data(3) Payment-card transaction processing(4) Compromise fraud statistics and
trends(5) Merchant risk analysis(6) Laws and the regulatory environment(7) Payment-card security
programs(8) Third party relationships "By having cross-functional teams trained and certified on
theprotection of consumer data, companies can not only inform their clientson the protection of
data, but they can support their internal teams andprocesses as well," said Dr. Mark. "By leveraging
the same trainers thatsupport the PCI SSC, we are able to ensure consistency of messaging
andquality of training." Training was provided by The Aegenis Group. In addition to supporting
theCPISM, The Aegenis Group is the worldwide QSA trainer and contracts withthe major card
brands to train acquirers, merchants, issuers, and serviceproviders on the PCI DSS and card brand
programs. Since 2006, The AegenisGroup has trained over 10,000 individuals on payment card
security. In order to sit for the CPISM, individuals must be members in goodstanding of the Society
of Payment Security Professionals, provide aresume containing current credentials in either the
Payment-Card Industryor Information Security, and two letters of reference. For moreinformation on
the CPISM and other upcoming certifications, visitwww.paymentsecuritypros.com About the Society
of Payment Security Professionals The Society of Payment Security Professionals' objective is to
provideindividuals and organizations involved in payment security with an onlinecommunity to share
information, and access education and certificationopportunities. Society members come from a
variety of businesses includingcard brands, merchants, acquirers, ISOs, and more. Though
theirorganizations may vary, they all share one purpose: to protect sensitivecustomer data using the
most current, viable technologies and processes.The SPSP is managed by The Aegenis Group. About
The Aegenis Group The Aegenis Group specializes in training and consulting in paymentsecurity and
privacy. The company was founded by experienced members ofthe Payment Security Industry. Since
2007, The Aegenis Group has trainedmore than 10,000, including every Qualified Security Assessor
(QSA)worldwide, people on issues related to the PCI DSS and Payment Security.The Aegenis Group
is contracted with the Payment-Card Industry SecurityStandards Council to train all Qualified
Security Assessors. Additionally,The Aegenis Group has conducted on-site educational seminars on
behalf ofa major payment card brand, Fortune 500 companies, Big Four consultingfirms, Acquiring
Banks, Merchants, and others concerned with theprotection of consumer data in the Payments
Industry. Contact:Dr. Heather Mark, Ph.D., CPISMExecutive DirectorSociety of Payment Security

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