| Security is the cornerstone of the electronic payment industry and its continuous enhancement along the payment value chain is absolutely mandatory to protect all stakeholder interests. In the meantime, security must also be synonymous with convenience, cost control and the ability to be easily deployed and maintained. To address this double challenge, the industry requires a forum, a common view, through which experiences can be shared and best practices developed. This is why the Secure POS Vendor Alliance (SPVA) has been created. A non-profit organization, the SPVA was created to foster wide-spread compliance of existing security standards and develop new industry guidelines to protect the security of consumer and payment card information as well as defend merchants and acquirers against security breaches. The SPVA was established to respond to the challenges that confront those security frameworks that rely on the Payment Card Industry (PCI) data security standard. Millions of transactions a day are conducted under the PCI standard, though many stakeholders in the payment process interpret details of the compliance regime differently. These differences can prompt confusion among merchants, banks and acquirers. The SPVA seeks to provide better benchmarks for implementation of existing security standards, explore ways to further improve the security of the payment device lifecycle and consolidate and communicate key insights about threat analysis and intelligence. It will act as a clearing house for education and research and provide valuable resources to all stakeholders in the payment industry. So, whether you are a vendor or an organization involved in the delivery of solutions or services which interact with secure POS payment devices, you may wish to participate in providing your expertise and sharing your view in the enhancement of the security of payment solutions. As a member, you will also be eligible to participate in Technical Working Groups covering such critical issues as developing a common understanding of existing security standards and requirements, security intelligence and analysis, security of the payment device lifecycle, and an end-to-end security framework. To accommodate different types of organizations, SPVA consists of two membership levels: - General Member
- Open to any Person(s) whose primary focus is the development of secure POS payment terminals. (Secure POS Payment Vendors)
- Associate Member
- Open to any Person(s) who have products or solutions that interact with secure POS payment terminals. (Retailer, Acquirer, ECR vendor, SW vendor, Bank, etc)
Each membership level offers specific benefits for participation in the SPVA organization and Technical Work Groups. For a detailed description of each membership level and information on membership dues, please visit www.spva.org/levels.aspx. We would be honored if you would join the SPVA and contribute to the development and adoption of enhanced security guidelines. To apply for membership, please complete and return the Membership Application at www.spva.org/application.aspx. For further information on the SPVA, its goals, structure and scope of action, please explore this site further. I look forward to meeting you soon as a member of SPVA. Yours truly,
Steven Hughes
SPVA President |