Following a year-long review process, Harland Clarke Corp.s Marketing Services production facility located in Baltimore, Maryland has become the first financial services direct marketing firm to meet all requirements for the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). The certification was awarded upon completion of an evaluation conducted by Internet Security Systems of Atlanta, Georgia.
Harland Clarkes Marketing Services is one of only two direct marketing companies who do their own print production and have achieved PCI DSS certification. Additionally, Harland Clarke is the only certified direct marketing company specializing in the financial services industry.
Standards for payment industry data security processes are established by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council, a global organization founded by American Express, Discover Financial Services, JCB, MasterCard Worldwide, and Visa International. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard places emphasis on security management policies and procedures, and is organized into six core principles and accompanying requirements. In addition to requiring that an information security management policy be instituted by participating organizations, the core PCI DSS principles address the following: building and maintaining a secure network, protecting cardholder data, maintaining a vulnerability management program, implementing strong access control measures, and regularly monitoring and testing networks.
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard certification was undertaken as part of Harland Clarkes ongoing commitment to information security and to respond to account holders increasing concerns around data security and fraud prevention. (An October 2006 report from Synergistics indicated that 94% of consumers feel that their financial institutions should do more to protect them from fraud.) The company initiated the PCI DSS certification process with the full support of their Marketing Services clients.
Harland Clarke was the natural choice for our organization when selecting a direct marketing vendor. For many years we have trusted them with our most sensitive account holder data as our provider of checks and payment solutions, said one national bank and Harland Clarke Marketing Services client. This certification from the Payment Card Industries speaks to their ongoing commitment to the highest level of service and security.
The Payment Card Industry Security Standard certification is just one example of Harland Clarkes emphasis on creating a culture of security. The October 2007 issue of CSO magazine highlighted how Harland Clarke has utilized its mastery of quality-control processes to build mastery of security processes.
The top three priorities of Harland Clarkes security program included taking advantage of enterprise-wide quality processes (the company won a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2001); linking security and risk mitigation decision processes to the business operating plan and strategic growth goals; and ingraining security into the mind-set and daily activities of Harland Clarkes employees, said Harland Clarke Chief Security Officer John Petrie.
The final step of the certification process will be the official registration of Harland Clarkes Marketing Services Baltimore production facility with Visa Internationals Cardholder Information Security Program (CISP). This registration will validate that Harland Clarke is a Payment Card Industries Data Security Standard Compliant Vendor.
About Harland Clarke Corp.
Harland Clarke Corp. is a leading provider of integrated payment solutions, marketing services and technology solutions. It serves approximately 15,000 financial institutions, as well as major investment firms, business-to-business clients, small businesses, and individual consumers. With its corporate headquarters in San Antonio, Texas and a regional headquarters in Decatur, Georgia, Harland Clarke employs approximately 5,800 people and has manufacturing facilities nationwide. Harland Clarke Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Harland Clarke Holdings Corp., which is also the parent company of Harland Financial Solutions Inc. and Scantron Corporation. Harland Clarke Holdings Corp. is wholly owned by M&F Worldwide Corp. (NYSE:MFW).