Turkey’s Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Takes a Giant Leap Forward

In an effort to improve data security and payment card standards across Turkey, Bankalararası Kart Merkezi A.Ş. (BKM) has made significant strides in recent months.

Enhancing Awareness Around Payment Card Security

The company, which operates as a message switching system and performs clearing and settlement services, is committed to creating awareness around payment card security in the region. As part of its initiative, BKM recently hosted a two-day Internal Security Assessor (ISA) training class for merchants in Istanbul.

Empowering Level-2 Merchants

The event aimed to empower Level-2 merchants with the knowledge and skills needed to accurately complete their Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ). Berna Sirel, Vice President - IT Security, Compliance, Risk & Quality at BKM, explained the benefits of this educational event:

“There is still room for improvement in awareness and understanding of the PCI DSS across the globe. This is also applicable for Turkey – and the CEMEA region in general,” said Sirel. “Merchants need help in understanding what they need to do to secure their data and become compliant, so we decided to offer the ISA training program to them.”

Training Event Success

The training event was a huge success, with 23 new ISAs qualified as a result of the two-day class. Previously, there was only one ISA in Turkey. The number of ISA companies in CEMEA has also increased significantly this year, with 80% of this growth coming from Turkey.

Benefits for Merchants and BKM

The training benefits merchants by providing them with a clear understanding of the PCI requirements and allowing them to share their experiences with other security professionals. Upon completion of the training, merchants know what is expected in terms of inspection, validation, documentation, and substantiation measures.

For BKM, the training benefits by enabling merchant success in the PCI compliance arena, which is critical to its mission. Sirel personally attended the training and now possesses the ISA qualification, in addition to being a member of the PCI SSC Board of Advisors.

Positive Feedback

Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with 100% feeling that the course was taught in an effective manner and nearly 98% feeling that the training content was clearly presented. The event has set the stage for future training initiatives, including plans to offer sustainable security awareness training programs in conjunction with the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC).

Future Plans

For more information on BKM’s efforts or the PCI SSC Corporate Group Training program, visit www.pcisecuritystandards.org/training.