Bahrain’s Batelco achieves international data security certification

Bahrain’s Batelco achieves international data security certification

MANAMA: has achieved the Payment Card Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) 3.2.1, the latest international certification in data security, for its three data centres. Batelco's PCI compliance was audited by ValueMentor, a leading provider of risk and compliance services. PCI DSS is an established information security standard which applies to any organisation involved in the processing, transmission, and storage of credit card information. The security standards were formed in 2004 by Visa, MasterCard, Discover Financial Services, JCB International and American Express. The compliance scheme aims to secure credit and debit card transactions against data theft and fraud. Companies that store, process, or transmit credit card data, specifically in the banking and finance sector, are mandated by global and national industry regulators to comply to the international security standard to ensure maximum levels of security. Therefore, PCI-compliant data centres are a key factor for organisations in selecting co-location facilities. Batelco said this ensures that its customers directly benefit from automatic compliance to regulatory data security requirements such as strict physical access procedures for data, regular testing of security systems and processes, and adherence to policies that address information security. David Joseph, AVP for payment security at ValueMentor, said: "We are delighted