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Application & Criteria

Application Form (File)

Click the link below to download a copy of the Current ICSF Registration Application Form.

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Application Acceptance Criteria Applicable to All Applications

Objective Criteria Applied by the ICSF RA to All Applications
An application for an interoperable image survivable check security feature may be approved by the X9 Registration Management Group for Interoperable Check Security Features (ICSF RMG) if all the following criteria are met.

a) Approved administration fee (if any) has been received by the ICSF RA.

b) An application to register has been submitted to the ICSF RA using an approved application form provided by the ICSF RA.

c) The application form has been fully completed by an authorized representative of the organization submitting the application.

d) The applicant has provided a verifiable business name, business street address, and complete contact information including e-mail and web sites on the application form.

e) If this is a renewal registration for an existing registration the following shall apply:

1. The entity is, in fact, registered
2. The registration is current

f) Renewal occurred within the appropriate timeframe established by the ICSF RMG. f) The applicant supports DSTU X9.100-172 Parts 1, 2, and 3.

g) The ICSF RMG, composed of persons skilled in the art of interoperable check security features, can understand the application and the information provided appears to be technically sound and correct and is consistent with other information published by the applicant.

h) The applicant has provided permission to include their information within the ICSF Registry and for their information to be used by users of the ICSF Registry.

i) If the applicant possesses or claims intellectual property rights (including, e.g. an invention covered by patent rights, proprietary material, or other intellectual property e.g. specific to a vendor tool, device, or product) that pertain to the right of any industry participant to implement or use DSTU X9.100-172 to verify an IISCSF, then the following conditions shall be met:

1) The applicant shall declare and identify with specificity the existence of such patent rights, proprietary material, or other intellectual property in the application form.

2) The applicant shall provide a statement to X9 of its intent to comply with the X9 procedures including the X9 patent policy.
The "intent to comply" requirement stated above pertains only to rights to use DSTU X9.100-172 to verify interoperable check security features.

Objective Criteria Applied by the ICSF RA to Applications to Register a Security Feature

a) Security feature information has been completed on the application form, and the security feature:

1. Protects against at least one relevant threat;
2. Can be used to determine if the check is authentic, unaltered, and/or properly authorized;
3. Uses at least one key-based cryptographic technique;
4. Has at least one method to prevent or detect its own alteration, and the method is identified;
5. Uses a security mark to convey information and can be implemented using a single security mark;
6. Uses one or more of the symbologies included in the ICSF Registry, or a proprietary symbol where the description of the symbol is included in the application and provides enough detail for the ICSF RMG to evaluate the symbology and the ICSF RA to include it in the ICSF Registry;
7. Supports a defined business use.

b) Security feature uses one or more cryptographic algorithms included in the ICSF Registry, or if the application requests registration of a previously unregistered algorithm, the application provides information about the algorithm:

1. In sufficient detail for the ICSF RMG to evaluate the algorithm and the ICSF RA to include it in the ICSF Registry;
2. That asserts which of the security attributes authentication, integrity, and non-repudiation are supported by the algorithm (at least one shall be supported) and if requested, the applicant has provided sufficient technical documentation to allow the RMG to evaluate the assertions.

c) Security mark information has been completed on the application Form, and the security mark:

1. Is visible on the check to an observer using the naked eye;
2. Is visible in a 200 DPI black-and-white image of the check using standard image scanning equipment and without requiring special post-capture image enhancement techniques;
3. Can be decoded solely from the 200 DPI black-and-white check image;
4. Can fit entirely within the designated IISCSF scan area as defined by Part 1 of this standard.

d) The application provides sufficient information to enable the security feature to be fully defined in the ICSF Registry.

e) There are no known barriers (technical, performance, operational, legal, or otherwise) that would hinder future industry use of the security feature.

f) There is no known technological reason that the security feature shall not be commercially available within 12 months of the application date.

Objective Criteria Applied by the ICSF RA to Validator Applications

An application for a validator role may be approved by the Registration Authority for Interoperable Check Security Features (ICSF RA) if all the following criteria are met.

a) The validator agrees to implement the necessary messages in compliance with Part 2 and Part 3 of this standard.

b) The validator warrants that it will only initiate get mark info and validate mark requests for legitimate transactions in which its check acceptor has been presented the subject check for payment.

For renewal only:
c) The validator has an agreement with at least one check acceptor that intends to use the validator for the purpose of verifying interoperable image survivable check security features.

Objective Criteria Applied by the ICSF RA to Verification Authority Applications

An application for a verification authority role may be approved by the Registration Authority for Interoperable Check Security Features if all the following criteria are met.

a) The VA agrees to implement the necessary messages, RT feature list, and data storage to enable compliance with Part 2 and Part 3 of this standard.

b) The VA agrees to accept and respond to get mark information, bulk get mark information, validation failure notification, and bulk validation failure notification messages from all other registered VA’s to the extent that these messages are accepted from the VA's own customers (with respect to accepting interactive and/or bulk messages). The VA has 90 days from receipt of a message handling request from other registered VA's to complete all setup, configuration, and testing functions related to complying with such requests.
For Renewal only:

c) The VA supports at least one routing number and one IISCSF.

d) The VA has an agreement with at least one Validator that intends to use the VA for the purpose of verifying interoperable image survivable check security features.

e) The VA has an agreement with at least one data source for registering accounts using IISCSFs with the VA.