Adedoyin. Odunfa presenting the ISO27001 Certificate to Henry. Oroh
Zenith Bank Ghana Limited has successfully obtained both the International Organization for Standardization (ISO27001) and Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCIDSS) Certifications.
The ISO 27001 is a comprehensive security management standard that specifies a set of best practices and controls.
Both certificates were presented to the bank on Wednesday, September 26, 2018, in Accra by Digital Jewels Limited, an information value chain consulting and capacity building firm accredited to ISO27001 and PCIDSS.
Speaking at the ceremony, Managing Director of Zenith Bank Ghana Limited, Henry Oroh, explained that “ISO27001 is an internationally recognized standard, and it means that as an organization we have examined our information security risks, designed a set of security controls to mitigate these risks, adopted a management process that reviews these controls on an ongoing basis; conducted an internal audit of the above to test for conformity.”
On the other hand, he said, PCI DSS compliance is adherence to the set of policies and procedures developed to protect credit, debit and cash card transactions and prevent the misuse of cardholders’ personal information.
The MD further indicated that PCI DSS compliance is required by all card brands, adding that “it’s the global standard that any organization of any size must adhere to in order to accept payment cards and to store process and/or transmit cardholder data.
He explained that “attaining the ISO27001 and PCIDSS certifications was not an easy task; it has been a long and challenging journey.”
The attainment of both certificates comes at a time the bank is celebrating its 13th anniversary in the Ghanaian banking industry.
Zenith Bank started operations in Ghana in 2005, with the vision “to be a reference point in the provision of prompt, flawless and innovative banking products and services in the Ghanaian banking industry.”
Mr. Oroh explained that the bank’s commitment to investing in the “best” technology has produced a robust digital banking infrastructure, complemented by the “best” card products on the market, covering debit, pre-paid and credit cards from Visa and MasterCard.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Digital Jewels Limited, Adedoyin Odunfa, explained that the certifications shall be reassessed on a yearly basis to ensure that the bank improves its performance.
She disclosed that the certifications revealed Zenith Bank Ghana’s understanding of the digital economy and regulatory mindsets, saying the ISO27001 is a “game-changer.”
Head of Financial Stability, Bank of Ghana, Dr. Joe France, commended Zenith Bank Limited for attaining the certifications, saying “ISO is a way of life.”
He stated that the Central Bank shares in the joy of banks that are doing well in Ghana and hoped that other banks in the country will follow suit to improve the digital security features.
By Melvin Tarlue