NWP Services Corporation Validates Compliance with the Payment Card Industry (PCI)

Feb. 16, 2010 - PRLog -- NWP Services Corporation (NWP), the leading provider of financial transaction processing solutions for the multifamily housing industry, announced today that it has been validated compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) as a Level 1 service provider. Trustwave, the leading provider of PCI DSS compliance management solutions, performed the validation.

PCI DSS is the payment card industry security requirement for entities that store, process or transmit cardholder data, and has been endorsed by all the major card brands. Founded by American Express®, Discover® Financial Services, JCB, MasterCard® Worldwide, and Visa® Inc, the PCI Security Standards Council is an independent body formed to develop, enhance, disseminate and assist with implementation of security standards for payment account security. NWP is one of the first multifamily billing service providers in the U.S. to achieve PCI DSS compliance.

“Our clients trust us with their residents’ most precious data, their personal credit card information,” said Jim Charles, senior vice president of NWP. “Keeping that data secure is the most important action we can take as a leading billing and electronic rent payment services provider to the multifamily industry. NWP has worked hard to achieve PCI DSS compliance, because without data security for our clients and their residents, nothing else matters,” Charles added.

Identity theft and the tools to prevent it are among the hottest topics for apartment communities which accept credit card transactions online. That means ensuring that cardholder data is secured at all times, both to protect residents and to safeguard against damage to property management company’s brand equity and public reputations.

“Identity theft, privacy and payment fraud are critical concerns for property managers and residents," said Rob Grable, security officer for NWP. "Companies that comply with the PCI DSS are protecting the security and integrity of sensitive data and protecting themselves from large fines and losses. Properties who select NWP can have the confidence that their e-commerce platform is compliant with established security best practices through the PCI certification," Grable added.

To maintain compliance with the PCI DSS, NWP has enrolled in Trustwave’s on-demand compliance management solution, TrustKeeper® to access the necessary tools to support on-going compliance such as external vulnerability scans. Additionally, NWP has proactively tested its internal network and passed an internal penetration test, which ensures adequate controls are in proper place for any person with access to the internal corporate LAN/WAN environment.

“For businesses – especially those in the financial services industry – it’s critical that customer data is secure at all times,” says Robert J. McCullen, chairman and CEO of Trustwave. “Validating compliance with the PCI DSS will help ensure safe and secure financial transaction processing by those organizations that engage NWP.”

About NWP Services Corporation: Headquartered in Irvine, California, NWP Services Corporation (NWP) provides financial transaction processing services for the multifamily industry including resident billing, resident payment and utility management.  Resident billing helps owners recover utility expenses with options including convergent billing with Resident OneBill.  NWP’s Resident ePay service allows residents to pay rent and other charges online or in person with funds transferred to the bank electronically. With UtilityPay Manager, NWP processes invoices sent to properties by utility companies, helping managers reduce time spent on administrative work while providing valuable data and additional utility cost management opportunities. Additional information is available at www.nwpsc.com.

About Trustwave: Trustwave is the leading provider of on-demand and subscription-based information security and payment card industry compliance management solutions to businesses and government entities throughout the world. For organizations faced with today’s challenging data security and compliance environment, Trustwave provides a unique approach with comprehensive solutions that include its flagship TrustKeeper® compliance management software and other proprietary security solutions.  Trustwave has helped thousands of organizations—ranging from Fortune 500 businesses and large financial institutions to small and medium-sized retailers—manage compliance and secure their network infrastructure, data communications and critical information assets. Trustwave is headquartered in Chicago with offices throughout North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. For more information, visit https://www.trustwave.com.

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NWP provides financial transaction processing services for the multifamily industry. NWP is a recognized leader in service quality for resident billing, resident payment processing and utility management services.