SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - Nov 6, 2014) - Today, Vendini, the company that makes the business of live events simple, announced that it has joined the PCI Security Standards Council as a new Participating Organization. Vendini 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. As a Participating Organization, Vendini will add its voice to the standards setting process and will provide feedback to shape their final versions, as well as engage a growing community of more than 700 organizations united to improve payment security.
"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, Vendini demonstrates 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."
Vendini also formally announced today the addition of Mark F. Ward as its new Director of Security and Compliance. Ward will be working with the Vendini engineering team to develop cutting edge security technologies for the live event and ticketing industries.
"We've always strived to be at the forefront of the newest proven technologies, and we're doubling down on becoming the leading force behind the most secure solution for live event venues," said Mark Tacchi, founder and CEO of Vendini. "With the addition of Mark to our team, and being named as a PCI partner, we're incredibly excited to forge the path to new technologies that we think will change the way the industry thinks about box-office security."
Ward previously served as Director of Security for CyDesign Labs, Inc., leading the security of a DARPA-funded startup focused on model-based engineering of highly complex cyber-electromechanical systems for the U.S. Military, most notably an advanced amphibious armored fighting vehicle. Before CyDesign, Mark was the security lead for PG&E's SmartMeter Project, the largest of its kind in the United States, as well as performing strategic planning and security architecture for PG&E smart grid projects. The patented engineer holds a B.A. from Saint Mary's College of California's Integral Program and an M.S. in National Security from the University of New Haven & Sandia National Laboratories.
About Vendini
Founded in 2001, Vendini makes the business of live events simple. Offering a full suite for the performing arts, live music, music festival and live event spaces, Vendini is helping thousands of venues increase revenue, collect valuable data and make running an event simple. In a world of endless single-use vendors, Vendini is the first company to offer one comprehensive solution for multiple aspects of live events including ticketing, marketing, fundraising, logistics and more. Vendini is based in San Francisco, CA, with offices in Boston, MA, New York, NY, Knoxville, TN and Vancouver, BC.
About the PCI Security Standards Council
The PCI Security Standards Council is an open, global forum that is responsible for the development, management, education and awareness of the PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and other standards that increase payment data security. Founded in 2006 by the major payment card brands American Express, Discover Financial Services, JCB International, MasterCard Worldwide and Visa Inc., the Council has more than 700 Participating Organizations representing merchants, banks, processors and vendors worldwide. To learn more about playing a part in securing payment card data globally, please visit: pcisecuritystandards.org.
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