Heartland Payment Systems announced it has worked with the Smart Card Alliance to launch the National Center for Advanced Payments and Identity Security, a new training facility hosted by the Alliance. Through a grant from Heartland, the new center will help protect consumers’ privacy and advance the data security of payments and identity through education programs on industry best practices and advances in security technology.
The center, located at 2900 Crystal Drive in Arlington, Va., offers live, interactive and dynamic education activities including workshops, courses, briefings, symposiums, training and certification testing for the Alliance’s Certified Smart Card Industry Professional (CSCIP) and Certified System Engineer (CSEIP) Identity Credentialing and Access Management Physical Access Control Systems (ICAM PACS) training and certification programs.
The Smart Card Alliance is a not-for-profit, multi-industry association working to stimulate the understanding, adoption, use and widespread application of smart card technology. Educational programs are available to Smart Card Alliance members and non-members. Through its active membership composed of leading technologists and practitioners in payments, identity, government and other sectors, the Smart Card Alliance currently provides a large number of educational resources examining important industry issues or implementation considerations, summarizing best practices and informing stakeholders on latest developments in secure smart card technology.
The center offers the following training and certification exam sessions:
- CSCIP – a program that recognizes professionals who undergo training to gain advanced levels of technical knowledge and understanding of usage models for the smart card industry and is the smart card industry’s only standardized certification program.
- CSCIP/Payments – an extension of CSCIP training that recognizes professionals who undergo training to gain advanced knowledge of payments usage models for the smart card industry.
- CSCIP/Government – an extension of CSCIP training that recognizes professionals who undergo training to gain advanced knowledge of government-related identity and security usage models for the smart card industry.
- CSEIP – a program that provides advanced training for integration engineers on how to set up and test E-PACS (electronic Physical Access Control Systems) to align with mandated certifications required under the federal government’s physical access control system procurement specifications.
After a recovery from an international hacking conspiracy in 2009, Heartland emerged as a champion in the fight against cybercrime. Heartland played a prominent role in the formation of the Payments Processing Information Sharing Council and helps advance the Smart Card Alliance mission.
Heartland is the first company to offer a comprehensive breach warranty. If the encryption fails on a Heartland Secure machine, Heartland will reimburse the merchant for the amount of compliance fines, fees and/or assessments the merchant must pay to the card brands, issuing banks and acquiring bank(s).
