K3DES, LLC is a Houston, Texas USA technology consulting firm focused on the security of electronic payments systems – debit, credit, and stored value cards. The firm provides computer and network security assessments, network vulnerability scanning, application penetration testing, application code reviews, cryptographic and security consulting, cryptographic training, forensic assessments and fraud analysis for the electronic payments industry.

BENEFITS || SERVICES || CLIENTS

K3DES has grown exponentially in terms of clients and services since being formed in March 2002. K3DES currently serves approximately 150 clients in the electronic payments industry.

K3DES is approved by the PCI Security Standards Council as a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) and is an Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV), approved to perform the quarterly perimeter network vulnerability scans required by PCI. K3DES is also a Payment Application (PA) QSA, approved to perform assessments of payment applications. K3DES has been involved with PCI and its predecessor programs since early 2003.

Benefits of Using K3DES

We have a strong management and consultant team – K3DES management and consultants are highly experienced, with security, systems administration, database, and programming experience ranging from 10 to 30 years. You always will have a highly experienced assessor working on your assessment.

We have deep technical skills – We have deep skills in all major computing and network platforms and extensive experience in performing PCI assessments. These skills and experience allow us to work quickly, effectively and efficiently, meaning that your staff’s valuable time is used more efficiently.

We are stable – You will not be training a new assessor on your systems and business next year.

We understand the industry – You will not be training your assessor on the payments industry.

K3DES Services

K3DES provides the following services to its clients in the electronic payments industry:

• PCI Data Security assessments of service providers and merchants


• PCI Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS) assessments


• PCI Data Security consulting


• Network vulnerability scanning (perimeter and internal) using Qualys


• Application penetration testing


• Code reviews of sensitive payment applications


• PCI PIN security reviews (ATM and POS encryption key management)


• TG-3 PIN security reviews (ATM and POS encryption key management)


• PCI and TG-3 PIN security consulting and training


• Card personalization services security consulting


• Cryptographic consulting, including hardware security module consulting


• Fraud assessments of ATM and POS processors

Clients

K3DES clients are involved in the electronic payments industry. They include payment processors, credit and debit card issuers, VisaNet endpoints, MasterCard MIPS endpoints, payment switches, banks, payment gateways, merchants, software vendors and PED manufacturers.

Our clients perform authorization and settlement, provide ATM and POS processing, provide order fulfillment services, function as payment gateways, and collect and analyze data for merchants and merchant banks. As noted earlier, K3DES presently serves approximately 150 clients in the electronic payments industry.