PCI SSC seeks focus group topic

Payment professionals are invited to suggest topics for a new special interest group (SIG) of the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC). Previously established SIG topics include wireless security, Europay/MasterCard/Visa technology, point-to-point encryption and virtualized environments.

Proposals for new topics must be submitted to the PCI SSC by Aug. 29, 2011. A short list of recommendations will be submitted for a vote of those attending community meetings in North America and Europe this fall.

PCI SSC General Manager Bob Russo told The Green Sheet the council has made changes in the organization of its SIGs. "It used to be these special interest groups would deliver great stuff after a very long time," he said. "We then publish the information in guideline documents." He added that the SIG work has not yet resulted in new requirements within the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS) and related standards.

An improved selection process

Russo said that to streamline the SIG process, the PCI SSC is introducing a new procedure this year for creating new SIGs. When a topic is selected and a SIG formed, the SIG will have one year to deliver a report; the council guarantees publication of the SIG findings.

The new process first directs suggestions for a new SIG to a technical working group that will sort the suggestions and select five to 10 topics as possible topics for a SIG. The SIG topics will then be submitted to members at the community meetings for final selection. When the topic is chosen and the SIG is formed, PCI SSC employees will manage the SIG and prompt it to make the one-year reporting deadline. Any member of the council can join a SIG.

"There can be a lot of people on these committees," Russo said. "That's why we are going to manage the process. That's why the charter of the group is decided before the group is formed."

Russo would not speculate on what topic may be selected for a new SIG, but he mentioned there is already interest in topics such as mobile, wireless, near field communication and smart card payments.

For more information, please visit www.pcisecuritystandards.org .

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