Queensland Police to audit PCI compliance

The Queensland Police Service (QPS) is to shortly carry out a series of Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance assessments and reviews aimed at addressing any deficiencies or gaps in current ICT systems.

In QPS documents the agency said the assessments would examine the internet-facing components of its ICT systems, to identify any vulnerabilities that may lead to exploitation or expose the agency to unnecessary risk.

These potential risks include ensuring applications are developed to industry standards, reviewing HTML and Java Script in the agency’s confirm Web server interface services, and ongoing PCI compliance and system security optimisation.

According to the QPS, the agency in March 2010 implemented a CRM system to deliver a contact centre system as a public facing service. In November 2010 Weapons Licensing and Management Solution (WLMS) functionality was added to the CRM system, however this lead to an increase in processing overheads.

“A QPS business requirement is to reduce processing overheads on … staff in processing weapons licensing application for clients,” QPS documents on the project read.

“In order to achieve this outcome, the QPS is in the process of establishing an on-line capability for members of the public to lodge applications and corresponding electronic payments for weapons licensing through the internet.”

According to the documents, the WLMS solution is designed to include a number of forms, such as applications for weapons, which together with payments are processed through the QPS’ CRM system.

“In order to finalise such transactions there is a need for the enablement of online financial receipting services which in turn requires the ability to process payment via credit card and alternate payment facilities,” the documents read.

Earlier this month the QPS awarded Fujitsu A/NZ an $8 million contract to provide a new command and dispatch system to service increasing calls to its 000 emergency response service.

Under the terms of the deal Fujitsu will partner with Fortek Computers, the developer of the command and dispatch software package, to replace two systems currently operated by the QPS. The companies will design, implement and support the project.

Late last year the agency said it was in the process of upgrading its 2600 vehicles with cameras, automatic number plate recognition and an in-vehicle computing platform.

Department documents noted QPS was interested in providing those police officers operating in a mobile environment, with a capability to capture and record both digital images and voice data to aide in the collection of evidence to support activities and prosecutions.