COMMERCE, Calif., Aug. 01, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Unified Grocers announced today that it has joined the PCI Security Standards Council as a new participating organization. Unified will work with the Council to achieve and improve payment data security 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).
“We are excited to join PCI as a Participating Organization and we look forward to being part of the security conversation with other payment security leaders,” said Mike Brown, Vice President, Retail Services, Unified Grocers. “Payment security is very important at Unified and we take great pride in providing the best security products to our members.”
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 — not just once a year, but as part of a business-as-usual security posture. 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, Unified 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 700 organizations united to improve payment security worldwide.
Unified will also have the opportunity to recommend new initiatives for consideration to the PCI Security Standards Council, participate in exclusive 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 Stephen W. Orfei, General Manager of the PCI Security Standards Council. “By joining as a participating organization, Unified 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.”
About Unified Grocers, Inc.
Founded in 1922, Unified Grocers is a retailer-owned wholesale grocery distributor that supplies independent retailers throughout the western United States. Unified, which generated approximately $4 billion in sales during fiscal year 2015, offers independent retailers all the resources they need to compete in the supermarket industry. For more information about Unified Grocers, visit: http://www.unifiedgrocers.com
About the PCI Security Standards Council
The PCI Security Standards Council is a 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, JCB International, MasterCard and Visa Inc., the Council has 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: www.pcisecuritystandards.org.
Connect with the PCI Council on LinkedIn. Join the conversation on Twitter @PCISSC.
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