November 5, 2013 - Verizon Enterprise Solutions has added Point-to-Point Encryption certification to its extensive list of Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards qualifications.

Verizon is now approved as a Qualified Security Assessor for Point-to-Point Encryption, and also a Payment Application Qualified Security Assessor for Point-to-Point Encryption.

With these capabilities, Verizon is now able to certify client systems that solely handle financial transactions, rather than having to certify an entire company. The PCI Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE) Standard focuses on point-to-point encryption solutions - the combination of secure devices, applications and processes that encrypt data from the point of interaction (for example, when a card is swiped or dipped) until it reaches the solution provider's secure decryption environment.

Rodolphe Simonetti, managing director of Verizon's Payment Card Industry Services, said: "The biannual 'Verizon Payment Card Industry Compliance Report' found that too many businesses struggle to comply with payment card security standards, putting consumers' confidential information at risk. PCI P2PE certification gives an alternate means of assuring the integrity of a customer's financial transactions by focusing purely on the money path, which in many cases will be quicker, and more cost-effective, to achieve PCI DSS compliance. We are proud to add this capability to our already expansive range of global audit, management and implementation professional security services."