Risk Associates, in collaboration with Learning Resource Centre, is set to organize a specialized training program on PCI DSS Application Security and its Governance under PCI DSS for Banks and Payment Service Providers (PSPs). The training will take place on July 23, 2026, at Movenpick Hotel in Karachi and is designed to help financial institutions strengthen their understanding of payment application security, governance, and regulatory compliance requirements.
The program has been developed to equip participants with practical knowledge on governing and securing payment applications in line with PCI DSS version 4.0.1, the Payment Card Security Framework, and State Bank of Pakistan regulatory expectations. According to the program overview, the training will focus on embedding application security controls throughout the secure Software Development Life Cycle, beginning from design and development and extending through testing and production. It also emphasizes governance, risk accountability, and regulatory oversight for payment applications operating in regulated environments. Participants will gain practical insight into meeting payment brand expectations while maintaining audit readiness, enabling organizations to strengthen compliance practices and improve security governance across payment systems.
The training is intended for professionals and teams responsible for ensuring that payment applications comply with PCI DSS, Payment Card Security Frameworks, and State Bank of Pakistan regulatory requirements. It is suitable for application security and product security teams responsible for securing payment applications, software development, DevOps, and Secure SDLC professionals implementing secure coding and deployment practices, as well as information security and cybersecurity teams overseeing PCI DSS compliance and payment brand controls. Governance, Risk, and Compliance professionals managing regulatory alignment and SBP compliance, IT risk and technology risk owners responsible for payment systems and platforms, internal audit teams conducting PCI DSS, SBP, and payment brand assessments, and engineering managers, product owners, and technology leaders overseeing application security governance are also among the target audience for the program.
The training will be delivered by experienced cybersecurity and governance professionals from Risk Associates. The speaker lineup includes Raheel Iqbal, who holds CISM, CRISC, CEH, ISO SR Lead Implementer certifications and serves as Director of Governance, Risk and Compliance at Risk Associates. Joining him is Ishaq Paracha, who holds PCI DSS, ISO 27001 Lead Implementer, SAMA CSF, and NCA ECC credentials and serves as Senior Manager GRC. Rehan Ali, Manager Offensive Security at Risk Associates, will also participate as a trainer, bringing certifications including CISSP, OSCP, CRTO, CRTP, ICARTP, and ISO 27001. Muhammad Saleem, a Penetration Tester in Offensive Security at Risk Associates, will complete the trainer panel with certifications including CAISP and ACP. Through this program, participants will have the opportunity to enhance their understanding of PCI DSS application security governance while gaining practical knowledge from industry practitioners involved in governance, compliance, offensive security, and payment security initiatives.
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