Financial institutions are discovering that industry certifications can eliminate audit burdens, reduce costs, and create competitive advantages in an increasingly regulated payment landscape.
Key points:
- Security certifications for financial institutions have become a core element of modern trust architecture.
- Using a pre-certified payment infrastructure lets banks and payment providers shorten compliance projects, avoid duplicate audits, and accelerate time-to-market for new payment services.
- Treating certification as an ongoing service keeps your security posture aligned with evolving threats, not just today’s rulebook.
- G+D Netcetera helps financial institutions turn security certification into a competitive advantage with a pre-certified payment security platform, ready-to-use compliance documentation, and proven expertise across global payment schemes.
Security certifications matter more than ever
In today’s digital payment ecosystem, financial institutions face a constant dilemma: how to prove to customers, partners, and regulators that their payment infrastructure is secure, compliant, and reliable without drowning in endless audits and documentation requests.
According to industry leaders, the answer lies not in doing more but in doing it smarter. G+D Netcetera has rethought industry certifications, transforming them from compliance checkboxes into strategic business advantages.
The company has an extensive track record. As a Mastercard Engage Partner and Visa Validated Service Provider listed on the Visa Global Registry, G+D Netcetera has demonstrated compliance with some of the payment industry’s most rigorous security standards. These are not just badges, but they represent a specific value for financial institutions in the increasingly complex regulatory landscape.
“By working with a validated partner, institutions gain strengthened protection against fraud and data breaches, confidence in a security-first approach, and the assurance of working with a globally recognized, compliant service provider,’ explains the company’s security framework.
What makes this approach different is the commitment to continuous improvement. G+D Netcetera regularly reviews and enhances its security framework, infrastructure, and monitoring capabilities to address emerging threats before they become industry-wide problems. In an era where payment systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated, this proactive approach is essential for survival.
Why security certifications for financial institutions are now strategic assets
When financial institutions partner with a payment service provider, they are not simply buying technology; they inherit security posture, compliance status, and reputation...
A single security breach or regulatory violation in the supply chain can have a cascading impact throughout an organization.
- Costly audits and remediation divert resources from innovation.
- Regulatory penalties affect profitability.
- Reputation damage can take years to repair. Once compromised, customer trust proves difficult to restore.
This reality explains why strategic certifications have shifted from compliance requirements to business imperatives. They function as both protective infrastructure and competitive differentiators. The G+D Netcetera certification framework provides precisely this foundation, which is validated by independent auditors and ready to be actively used.
How PCI and scheme certifications save time, money, and market access
PCI DSS: reducing audit scope for cardholder data
PCI DSS Certification is not optional; it is the baseline for anyone who stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data. But annual certification requires comprehensive on-site audits, technical assessments, and operational reviews that consume weeks of your team’s time.
What this means for you: When you work with G+D Netcetera, our annual PCI DSS certification, conducted by external auditors, covers the payment infrastructure you depend on. You are not starting from zero but building a foundation that is already validated. This significantly reduces your audit scope and accelerates your compliance timeline.
PCI 3DS Core Security Standard: certified 3-D Secure authentication
As a provider of 3DS Server, Directory Server, and Access Control Server solutions, we maintain PCI 3DS certification for the operated functions and represent the gold standard for 3D Secure authentication.
What this means for you: Your 3-D Secure implementation is already certified at the infrastructure level. When card networks or regulators ask for proof of compliance, you can point to our certification reports rather than conducting separate evaluations.
Payment Network and EMVCo certifications: faster market entry
G+D Netcetera solutions undergo rigorous certification by major payment networks and domestic ones worldwide, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, UnionPay, JCB, Discover, and others. Additionally, our Access Control Server (ACS), 3DS Directory Server, and 3DS Server and SDK solutions are certified by EMVCo, the global technical body responsible for managing all payment security standards and protocol specifications.
What this means for you: whether launching in new markets or expanding to additional card networks, our pre-certified solutions eliminate months of integration testing and approval processes. You can confidently deploy payment authentication knowing it meets the exact specifications required by each network.
Turning PSD2 and third-party assurance into measurable time and cost savings
PSD2 compliance: From months to weeks
The European Payment Services Directive (PSD2) demands strong customer authentication, risk-based authentication, and transaction risk analysis. Proving compliance typically requires:
- Hiring specialized auditors with PSD2 expertise
- Conducting extensive security testing
- Documenting authentication flows and exemption logic
- Demonstrating compliance across strong customer authentication requirements
Since 2021, we have provided an annual PSD2 audit report covering the G+D Netcetera ACS within agreed-upon scope boundaries. This generic audit report includes comprehensive documentation, system functional testing, and security assessments, all of which are reviewed by an independent quality assurance team.
What this means for you: when your auditors evaluate your PSD2 compliance, they can reference our existing report for the major portions of your authentication infrastructure. This translates to:
- 60-80% reduction in audit scope for authentication components
- Significant cost savings by avoiding duplicate audits
- Faster time-to-market for new authentication implementations
- Reduced internal resource burden during compliance cycles
ISAE 3402 Type 2: Third-party assurance without the effort
Your internal and external auditors need assurance that your outsourced payment processing has adequate controls. Traditionally, auditors must audit your vendors, which is a time-consuming and expensive process.
Our approach: Our annual ISAE 3402 Type 2 report (conducted since 2023) evaluates our IT controls, policies, and procedures across seven critical control areas:
- Information security policy
- Human resource security
- Logical and physical access management
- Operations security
- Network and application security
- Information security incident management
- Business continuity and backup management
This report covers both on-premise and cloud payment platforms and includes management assertions validated by independent qualified auditors.
What this means for you: Your auditors can rely on our ISAE 3402 report instead of conducting separate vendor assessments. This eliminates redundant audits, reduces audit fees, and gives you documented assurance that meets regulatory requirements.
Gold standards in data privacy with G+D Netcetera
G+D Netcetera adheres to the highest standards of data privacy, as demonstrated by its compliance with Binding Corporate Rules (BCR). BCRs are an official regulatory framework approved by European supervisory authorities (European Commission), ensuring that a company’s internal policies meet all the general data protection principles required under the GDPR.
This facilitates secure and lawful transfers of personal data within multinational organizations, including to countries outside the EU/EEA. Regular audits of G+D Netcetera through G+D further guarantee ongoing compliance, providing customers and partners with robust guarantees and legal assurance for international payment-related data handling.
Resilient information security with ISO 27001 and DORA readiness
ISO 27001 certification
As of September 2025, G+D Netcetera has achieved ISO 27001 certification, the international standard for Information Security Management Systems (ISMS). This certification encompasses all our divisions: Payment and Identity, Digital Enterprise, Financial Technology, and Digital Banking, as well as supporting departments.
Why this matters: ISO 27001 is about embedding continuous improvement into our information security management. Through our risk management process, we preserve the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information that powers your payment operations.
However, ISO 27001 certification is a part of our broader ESG commitment, where responsible governance and operational excellence are fundamental to sustainable business growth. Security excellence isn’t just about compliance but about creating sustainable value for all stakeholders in the payment ecosystem. It’s the right foundation for long-term partnerships and trust-building across the payment value chain.
DORA compliance
The European Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) requires financial institutions to ensure their critical ICT service providers maintain robust operational resilience. Our ISO 27001 certification directly supports your DORA compliance efforts by demonstrating:
- Systematic risk management across all operational processes
- Regular external review and monitoring through surveillance audits
- Continuous improvement mechanisms that adapt to emerging threats
- Documented governance that regulators expect from critical third parties
What this means for you: when regulators ask about your third-party risk management under DORA, you have ready documentation showing your payment infrastructure provider maintains the highest international standards for information security and operational resilience. These standards align with sustainable, responsible business practices that benefit the entire ecosystem.
G+D Netcetera: Turning compliance into business value
At G+D Netcetera, we don’t pursue certifications because they are mandatory, but because they make our clients’ lives easier and support their businesses. Every certification we earn becomes an asset to you.
- Faster market entry: Pre-certified solutions mean you can launch new payment products in weeks instead of months.
- Reduced audit costs: Our comprehensive certification portfolio eliminates redundant audits and dramatically reduces your compliance workload.
- Enhanced trust: When partners and customers ask about your security posture, you can point to world-class certifications covering your entire payment infrastructure.
- Regulatory confidence: Regulators increasingly evaluate third-party relationships. Our certifications provide the documented assurance they require.
- Operational excellence: Behind every certification is a culture of continuous improvement that makes our services more reliable, secure, and innovative.
The G+D Netcetera approach: Certification as a service
We have been securing payment transactions since 2012, protecting over 1000 issuers and securing more than 230 million cards worldwide. Our certification strategy is based on our vision of building an infrastructure that our clients can trust and depend on.
When you choose G+D Netcetera, you get certified payment solutions, with:
- Ready-to-deploy compliance documentation that saves months of preparation
- External validation from respected auditors and certification bodies
- Ongoing assurance through annual renewals and continuous monitoring
- Strategic partnership with a provider that views certifications as a competitive advantage, not compliance overhead
Your next step: The payment ecosystem is becoming more complex, not simpler. Regulations are tightening. Customer expectations are rising and security threats are evolving.
So, no one in the industry should face challenges alone. Our comprehensive certification framework is designed to simplify your life, enhance operational efficiency, and boost business competitiveness.
Ready to transform compliance into an advantage?
Contact our team to learn how our certified solutions can accelerate your payment initiatives while reducing risk, cost, and complexity.
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