Level 2 Schools (And Maybe Everybody Else) - Read This

The PCI Council now has the full schedule of Independent Security Assessor training on its website (click here to view). Why is this important to all Level 2 Higher Ed institutions? Because under the new MasterCard validation requirements, you either have to have an ISA sign your Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ), or you get to hire a QSA (did I give you my email???) to do it. And as everybody knows, if you are Level 2 for Visa, you are Level 2 for MasterCard even if you have only 1 transaction on that card.

It is great the Council has published the full 2011 schedule. Now you can plan which will be the best one for you. I recommend you surf over and have a look. The ISA training is a bit different this year:

Beginning in 2011 the New ISA training course will have a new look and feel to it to accommodate many of the suggestions the Council has received on the course. The course will consist of two parts: an on-line course followed by a short exam and a two-day instructor-led session ending with an exam.

You should note that only five of the courses are in the US. The other are at other cities worldwide, so depending on your budget you can choose between San Diego or Sydney. There are some basic requirements to qualify for the training, and you can learn all that at the PCI Council's website.

The training is not free: $2,595 for schools that are not Participating Organizations, and $1,595 for those that are. Yet another benefit for those Higher Ed institutions that become POs.

Speaking of price, did I mention that the Treasury Institute's PCI Workshop is a fraction of this price, although you don't get the 2-day in-depth training on every requirement, and you don't get the ISA certification. (Yeah, I know...it's a shameless plug, but what do you expect on the Institute's own blog!?!)

More and more larger institutions are finding that they are Level 2 merchants (over 1 million Visa or M/C transactions per year), and that they have a new PCI validation regime this year. I know this from my own experience with some of these institutions. If this describes your situation, you might want to take a look at this training.