Dubai Smart Government receives PCI DSS certificate for its ePay & mPay services

UAE, March 16, 2015: Dubai Smart Government (DSG) has reached a new milestone after obtaining the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) Certificate from the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC). DSG is the first government entity across the UAE to receive the certificate in recognition of its highly secured ePay and mPay services. 

The PCI DSS is one of the internationally accredited standards of compliance and security developed to protect credit cardholders’ personal information and prevent credit card fraud. Organizations within its scope are required to abide by its standards to keep the cardholders’ data confidential.

A group of highly qualified auditors from one of PCI SSC-accredited assessment companies awarded the certificate on January 22, 2015 after its overall assessment showed that DSG fully complied with PCI DSS’ Requirements and Security Assessment Procedures Version 2.0.

The certificate demonstrates that DSG’s e-payment service offered to all Dubai-based government entities provides a high-level information security. DSG’s ePay is the first government service in the UAE to comply with PCI DSS’ requirements. Obtaining the certificate also signifies that DSG successfully adhered to practices and standards governing all security aspects of e-payments, such as human resources, technological infrastructure and operational procedures, to ensure the highest level of card data protection.

H.E. Ahmed Bin Humaidan, Director General, Dubai Smart Government, said: “DSG consistently applies for globally recognized certificates on security efficiency as part of our efforts to keep up with the fast-growing developments and changes in information technology (IT) industry especially in terms of data protection. This falls in line with the initiative launched by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to transform Dubai into a Smart Government and provide highly trusted and reliable smart services. The main goal is to increase the public’s happiness and satisfaction ratings on government services. Our efforts are also in response to the directives of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, to turn Dubai into a smart city through enhanced government services in line with the Dubai Government 2021 strategy.”

Bin Humaidan added: “Obtaining the PCI DSS certificate reaffirms our commitment to international IT standards aimed at improving the overall quality of online services. The certificate serves as a testament to what we offer to our clients in accordance with related procedures and mechanisms. Such recognition is a major step forward for us as it increases our clients’ confidence in our services.”
 
He said the certificate is not only related to how IT services are developed in DSG, but also reflective of the ongoing procedures observed by dedicated teams in order to develop, update and document these services. This ensures sustainable and excellent offerings to its clients in a timely manner.

Paladion, a specialized company accredited by PCI SSC, assessed the reliability and security of DSG services. It works in various areas such as PCI auditing, IT security, risk assessment, security solutions, and many more.