PAYFORT, the leading online payment service provider in the Arab world, has been certified as PCI DSS 3.1 compliant by PCI Qualified Security Assessor NCC Group (previously RandomStorm Ltd) on behalf of the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of the most advanced security standards developed to ensure secure online transactions and protect cardholder data. PAYFORT delivers a secure payment platform that enables online processing of credit and debit cards as well as direct bank transfers. The platform was previously certified for PCI DDS version 2.0 in 2014 and then again for version 3.0 in 2015. "We are proud to announce that PAYFORT has achieved the Payment Card Industry Council's Data Security Standard for the third year in a row, helping to secure online payments globally," said Maha Abu Touq, IT Director of PAYFORT. "PAYFORT's effort to protect customer data and deliver the highest standard of security for our payment services is continuous and the new PCI DSS certification confirms that we're meeting the most advanced standards set for the industry." The PCI Data Security Standard has been developed to prevent payment card fraud by providing global security guidelines for companies that process, store, or transmit customers' payment card details. The standards certification is renewed each year to take into account the latest security measures and technology. "PAYFORT hired ScanWave CTS, the advanced security solutions leader in MENA and the GCC, which offered a comprehensive range of advanced cyber security solutions and services," said Dr. Ramzi Al Sunna, CEO of ScanWave CTS. "The certification reaffirms PAYFORT's unwavering commitment to delivering secure payment services to customers in MENA, and emphasises its ongoing efforts to protect cardholder data environments and offer secure online payment services." For the final auditing services, Global PCI Qualified Security Assessor NCC Group granted PAYFORT PCI DSS 3.1 accreditation in recognition of its strict adherence to guidelines that safeguard consumers' credit and debit card transactions, supported by the enhanced reliability and security measures added to PAYFORT's e-payment services. PAYFORT has longstanding relationships with leading banks and financial institutions across the region and supports credit/debit card payment, through globally recognized payment leaders such as MasterCard, Visa and American Express. It supports also local payment services, such as e-Dirham, Fawry, NAPS (Direct Debit Qatar) and SADAD Merchants can also integrate third party services with their payment stack. "PAYFORT provides merchants across the Arab world with innovative e-payment solutions certified to the latest PCI DSS standards, allowing them to offer customers safe, secure online payment options," said Omar Soudodi, Managing Director of PAYFORT. "Simply put, PAYFORT continually invests in addressing the latest security challenges and implementing the most sophisticated and up-to-date security, fraud prevention and anti-money laundering technologies so that our customers don't have to." PAYFORT is the payment platform for hundreds of the leading ecommerce websites across the region — such as Souq.com, Dubizzle.com, Landmark, Jumbo Electronics, flynas, Air Arabia, Flyin, Musafir and bayte. According to the PAYFORT State of Payments 2016 report, the value of online transactions in the Arab world could grow nearly 300 percent by 2020, potentially reaching more than $69 billion transactions per year.
