Unity Bank Receives Global IT Certification

Unity Bank Plc has received the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Certification, the global information security standard to help prevent card-related fraud.
Presenting the certificate to Unity Bank, Mrs. Adedoyin Odunfa, Managing Director of Digital Jewels which are the consulting firm on the project, said Unity Bank – which currently issues MasterCard and Interswitch Verve cards to its customers – had demonstrated leadership in the industry, being the 5th bank to receive the certification in Nigeria.

Mrs. Odunfa said, 'After achieving the ISO270001 last year, Unity Bank has shown that is one of the banks at the forefront of good security and compliance by now attaining the PCIDSS certification. You are the second bank in the country to have attained both of those certifications. That is quite a formidable feat given that there are several other banks who may claim to be more technological advanced than Unity Bank.'

She however advised Unity Bank's management not to rest on its oars.

'It is a feat that is evidenced by the fact that it is a global certification and not a local one and so I will like to say that having attained this, yes, we congratulate ourselves, but we must look forward and ensure that we are able to sustain this certification. That is extremely important,' she said.

Thanking Mrs. Odunfa for the certification. Unity Bank's Managing Director, Ado Yakubu Wanka said the bank is aware that banking is about confidence and as the world economy moves towards card related transactions, it becomes more important for customers to know that their data is safe with their bank.

'The Central Bank has launched the cashless project. It is a reality. That is where the whole world is going. This is why we as a bank are ensuring that our processes are aligned to that future reality. Lagos has gone cashless. They are now moving to Kano, Port Harcourt and The FCT.

'The work is just starting. We are the 5th to attain PCIDSS and the second to achieve both ISO270001 and PCIDSS but I think the challenge is in maintaining it. We must ensure that there is continuous improvement in what we do,' he said.

The PCIDSS is a worldwide information security standard defined by the International Payment Industry Security Standards Council to help prevent card-related fraud through increased controls around data and its exposure to compromise. Certification to PCIDSS is motivated by the need to give security to cardholder data as it has become an important medium in carrying out transactions by customers.