Cognia will work with the Council to achieve and improve payment data security worldwide through the ongoing development of the PCI Security Standards, including the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), PIN Transaction Security (PTS) requirements and the Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS).

Endorsed by American Express, Discover Financial Services, JCB International, MasterCard Worldwide and Visa Inc., the PCI Security Standards require merchants and service providers that store, process or transmit customer payment card data to adhere to information security controls and processes that ensure data protection. To enhance payment data security globally while embracing new technologies as they are developed, the Council relies on involvement of those across the payments processing chain, from merchants and service providers to payment device manufacturers and software developers, financial institutions and processors.

As a Participating Organization, Cognia adds its voice to the standards-setting process and will receive previews of drafts of standards and supporting materials in order to provide feedback to shape their final versions, as well as engage a growing community of more than 600 organizations united to improve payment security.

Cognia will also have the opportunity to recommend new initiatives for consideration to the PCI Security Standards Council, participate in webinars and question and answer sessions with Council representatives, and review and discuss new versions of the PCI Security Standards while sharing cross-sector experiences and best practices at the annual Community Meetings.

"In an era of increasingly sophisticated attacks on systems, adhering to the PCI DSS represents an entity's best protection against network security threats and data breaches," said Bob Russo, General Manager of the PCI Security Standards Council. "By joining as a Participating Organization, Cognia demoonstrates they are playing an active part in mitigating the threats and improving the security of the payment chain globally by driving the security standards to higher levels of adoption and strength."

"Cognia develops cloud-based compliance and productivity solutions that are used by some of the world's largest multinational institutions" explains Curtis Nash, Cognia's CEO. "We are interested in — and driven by — helping organizations achieve and maintain compliance in a cost-effective and business-sympathetic way. With our background in leading-edge cloud technology, Cognia brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Security Standards Council. It is our intention to take an active role within the Security Standards Council, assisting with the thought leadership, debate and education that will support the council's goals."