Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited and Ufone have successfully obtained the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard version 4.0.1 certification for 2026, reinforcing their commitment to secure payment card data handling and adherence to global cybersecurity benchmarks. The certification was awarded by Risk Associates, a globally recognised Payment Card Industry Qualified Security Assessor, following an independent and comprehensive evaluation of the two companies’ cloud infrastructure and cardholder data environment. The achievement positions Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited and Ufone among a relatively small group of telecom operators in the region that have achieved compliance with the most current iteration of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, which represents the global baseline for organisations that process, store, or transmit payment card information.
According to the assessment, both organisations have implemented strong security frameworks designed to mitigate risks of data breaches, fraud, and unauthorised access, while further enhancing trust in digital financial transactions. Commenting on the achievement, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited and Ufone Chief Technology and Information Officer Jafar Khalid said the certification underscores the company’s continued focus on aligning with international security benchmarks and safeguarding sensitive customer information. The remarks reflect a broader institutional direction at Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited and Ufone toward treating cybersecurity compliance not as a regulatory checkbox but as a foundational element of how the companies build and operate their digital services infrastructure, particularly as the overlap between telecom and financial services continues to deepen across Pakistan’s growing digital economy.
Managing Director of Risk Associates Kashif Hassan noted that Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited and Ufone demonstrated strong compliance with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard version 4.0.1 requirements, supported by mature cloud infrastructure and robust data protection practices, with the certification further strengthening their position in delivering secure, compliant, and resilient digital services across Pakistan’s growing telecom and fintech ecosystem. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard version 4.0.1 represents the latest update to a framework that sets technical and operational requirements for protecting cardholder data, introducing enhanced requirements around authentication, access control, and continuous monitoring compared to its predecessor. For Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited and Ufone, operating across both fixed-line and mobile networks while also delivering digital payment and financial services to millions of customers, maintaining this level of certification is increasingly important as regulatory expectations around data security and consumer protection continue to rise across Pakistan’s financial and telecommunications sectors.
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