Secure Technology Alliance

What Secure Technology Alliance does

Secure Technology Alliance is a not-for-profit, multi-industry association founded in 1993 as the Smart Card Forum (later Smart Card Alliance, renamed to its current name in March 2017) and headquartered in Redwood City, California. It operates as the digital security industry's premier neutral forum, convening global payment networks (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB), financial institutions (Bank of America, Discover, SHAZAM), technology suppliers (IDEMIA, HID, Giesecke+Devrient, CPI Card Group, Verifone, FIME), and government agencies (Federal Reserve, GSA, state DMVs) to drive adoption of secure technologies including smart cards, embedded chip technology, EMV payments, mobile driver's licenses (mDL), biometric authentication, tokenization, and contactless/NFC.

The Alliance's core offerings are structured around two affiliated forums — the U.S. Payments Forum (formerly EMV Migration Forum) and the Identity and Access Forum — supported by seven working committees, the annual Identity & Payments Summit, the mDL Technology Showcase with ISO/IEC 18013-5/7 interoperability testing, and proprietary certification programs (CSCIP, CSEIP, TSCIP). A public Knowledge Center houses hundreds of white papers, position statements, FAQs, webinars, and infographics produced over 30 years. The Alliance engages directly with regulators (Federal Reserve, NIST, GSA) and holds strategic partnerships with EMVCo, FIDO Alliance, GlobalPlatform, NFC Forum, AAMVA, Eurosmart, and other international bodies.

The business model is membership-dues driven, with five tiers ranging from $50/year (students) and $1,200/year (individual) up to $14,000-$30,000/year (Leadership tier, with global payment networks required at the $30,000 level). Revenue is supplemented by event registration, sponsorship and exhibit fees for the Summit, training and certification program fees, and a public Knowledge Center that drives top-of-funnel awareness. Member benefits include Board eligibility, working-committee participation, influence over industry standards and best practices, and member-discounted training, anchoring a sticky, ecosystem-driven revenue base of likely $5M-$10M annual run-rate against a 1-10 staff footprint.

Name

Secure Technology Alliance

Legal name

Secure Technology Alliance

Website

https://securetechalliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Secure Technology Alliance is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit association founded in 1993 that convenes global payment networks, financial institutions, technology suppliers, and government agencies to drive adoption of secure payments, digital identity, mobile driver's licenses, and EMV chip technology through forums, summits, certification programs, and standards advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Association - Secure Technology and Payments

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Authentication (MFA/Passwordless/Biometrics) Platforms (BPAMAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Secure ICs, Smart Cards & Trusted Hardware (HDAHAAAJ), Secure Collaboration & Communication Tools Training (Chat, File Sharing, Video) (EDABAGAK)

Keywords

• Secure identity standards
• Payments industry forum
• Smart card certification
• Digital identity training
• EMV migration guidance

Headquarters

HQ city

Princeton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The primary revenue stream for the not-for-profit association. Membership dues range from $50/year (students) to $30,000/year (global payment networks at Leadership level), with five tiers based on organization type and annual revenue. Revenue supports forums, working committees, events, educational resources, and government outreach programs.
2. Event Fees and Conference Revenue: The Alliance generates revenue through its annual Identity & Payments Summit (formerly Payments Summit), which has run for over 15 years. Events include training courses, sponsor and exhibit fees, and registration passes. Events also serve as member benefits.
3. Training and Certification Programs: Revenue from CSCIP and CSEIP certification programs, training workshops, and courses offered to members and non-members. Member discounts apply. The Alliance also offers courses through the Secure Payments Academy partnership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

The Secure Technology Alliance is a not-for-profit multi-industry association that operates as a neutral forum bringing together providers and adopters of secure technology solutions. It runs two cross-industry forums (U.S. Payments Forum and Identity and Access Forum), hosts the annual Identity & Payments Summit, delivers professional certification programs (CSCIP, CSEIP, TSCIP), and maintains the Knowledge Center resource library and mDL Connection educational website to advance adoption of smart cards, embedded chips, EMV payments, and digital identity technologies.

Product overview

The Secure Technology Alliance is the digital security industry's premier association that operates as a neutral forum bringing together providers and adopters of end-to-end security solutions. The organization's core offerings consist of two major industry forums (U.S. Payments Forum and Identity and Access Forum), the annual Identity & Payments Summit conference, professional certification programs (CSCIP, CSEIP, TSCIP), the Knowledge Center resource hub, and the mDL Connection educational website. The Alliance primarily generates value through industry collaboration, education, standards advocacy, and events rather than as a traditional software product company. Membership spans five levels providing access to forums, working committees, training programs, and networking opportunities across the payments, identity, and access ecosystems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Identity & Payments Summit: The premier annual conference exploring how payments, identity and trust are linked to deliver secure, frictionless experiences.
• LEAP (Leadership, Education, and Advancement Program)
• CSCIP (Certified Smart Card Industry Professional)
• CSEIP (Certified System Engineer ICAM PACS)

Products and services

• Identity & Payments Summit The premier annual conference in North America exploring the convergence of payments, identity, and trust. Formerly known as the Payments Summit, it draws hundreds of cross-industry decision-makers for sessions on EMV, mobile wallets, digital identity, AI-driven fraud, mDLs, and emerging payment technologies.
• U.S. Payments Forum The only organization representing the entire U.S. payments ecosystem, addressing implementation of EMV, tokenization, card-not-present fraud mitigation, encryption, and mobile/contactless payments through nine working committees and member-led deliverables.
• Identity and Access Forum A cooperative, cross-industry body dedicated to development, advancement, and adoption of secure identity technologies, including physical and logical access, mobile driver's licenses, biometric authentication, and interoperable digital identities. Operates seven working committees.
• Certified Smart Card Industry Professional (CSCIP) Industry-leading certification program for smart card professionals, recognizing individuals who complete training on usage models for the smart card industry.
• Certified System Engineer ICAM PACS (CSEIP) Advanced training and certification for integration engineers on how to set up and test enterprise physical access control systems (E-PACS) to align with U.S. federal government-wide specifications.
• Transportation Security Certified Identification Professional (TSCIP) Credentialed certification recognizing professionals who have knowledge and experience in advanced Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card implementation for access security.
• Knowledge Center Online library of white papers, FAQs, infographics, position papers, webinars, and industry best practices on biometrics, blockchain, EMV, IoT, mobile payments, mDL, privacy, security, and standards. Accessible publicly.
• Leadership, Education, and Advancement Program (LEAP) Online, members-only professional community for smart card industry practitioners, providing networking, professional development, and career advancement opportunities.
• Mobile Driver's License (mDL) Connection Informational website educating the market on mobile driver's license pilot programs and adoption efforts across U.S. states. Provides mDL use case templates, infographics, and implementation guidance for ecosystem stakeholders.
• Secure Payments Academy Courses Strategic education partnership delivering comprehensive payment security courses covering eCommerce, card-not-present fraud, payment tokenization, Open Banking, and ISO 20022, offered to Alliance members at exclusive discounts.
• mDL Technology Showcase Hands-on demonstration event showcasing mDL use cases across real-world scenarios including age-restricted purchases, TSA travel, traffic stops, and account onboarding, with interoperability testing against ISO standards.

Quantifiable outcome

• Contributed to U.S. adoption of EMV chip cards, with 70 million Americans using smart cards by 2004. Today, smart cards in circulation are estimated in the tens of billions globally.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered strategic partner, technology and business partner and core.

• ETA - Electronic Transactions Associationstrategic partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerETA is a strategic partner of the Secure Technology Alliance. The ETA represents electronic transaction companies and promotes the education, advocacy, and advancement of electronic commerce.
• EMVCostrategic partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMVCo is a strategic partner of the Secure Technology Alliance. EMVCo manages the EMV specifications that the Alliance has been instrumental in driving adoption of in the U.S.
• Eurosmartstrategic partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerEurosmart is a strategic partner of the Secure Technology Alliance. Eurosmart is the international association for smart card technologies and serves as a global voice for smart card technologies.
• FIDO Alliancestrategic partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIDO Alliance is a strategic partner of the Secure Technology Alliance. FIDO Alliance develops open, license-free authentication standards that enable more secure and user-friendly authentication across devices and platforms.
• GlobalPlatformstrategic partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobalPlatform is a strategic partner of the Secure Technology Alliance. GlobalPlatform defines standards for secure chip deployment and multi-application data management.
• GSA - General Services Administrationstrategic partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe GSA is a strategic partner of the Secure Technology Alliance. The Alliance conducts outreach to engage with GSA on government identity and access standards and policy.
• ICMA - International Card Manufacturer's Associationstrategic partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerICMA is a strategic partner of the Secure Technology Alliance. ICMA represents card manufacturers worldwide and promotes best practices and standards in card manufacturing.
• NFC Forumstrategic partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerNFC Forum is a strategic partner of the Secure Technology Alliance. NFC Forum promotes NFC technology implementation across devices and services.
• SIA - Security Industry Associationstrategic partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIA is a strategic partner of the Secure Technology Alliance. SIA is a leading trade association for security industry solutions providers.
• Montner Tech PRtechnology and business partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerMontner Tech PR serves as the public relations contact for the Secure Technology Alliance. Sherlyn Rijos-Altman leads PR efforts for press releases, media outreach, and Alliance communications.
• AVISIANtechnology and business partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerAVISIAN is a technology and business partner of the Secure Technology Alliance, providing publishing and media services for the secure technology industry.
• AAMVA - American Association of Motor Vehicle AdministratorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Alliance collaborates with AAMVA on mobile driver's license standards (ISO/IEC 18013-5 and ISO/IEC 18013-7), implementation guidance, and adoption efforts. AAMVA provides data showing 90% of North America is deploying or working on mDL programs.
• U.S. Payments ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe U.S. Payments Forum (formerly EMV Migration Forum) operates as an affiliated chapter of the Secure Technology Alliance. It has its own bylaws and membership, managed by a member-elected Steering Committee with oversight from the Alliance Board.
• Identity and Access ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Identity and Access Forum operates within the Secure Technology Alliance as a cooperative, cross-industry body dedicated to development, advancement, and adoption of secure identity technologies. Has seven working committees addressing digital identity, physical access control, mDL, and identity assurance.
• Secure Payments Academystrategic partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic collaboration offering comprehensive payment security courses to Alliance members at exclusive discounts. Courses cover eCommerce, CNP fraud, payment tokenization, Open Banking, and ISO20022.
• State DMVs (Georgia, California, Ohio, New York, Virginia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple state DMVs collaborate with the Alliance on mDL programs. Georgia has 638,000 active mDL users; California has 3.2 million issued credentials. States are working with the Alliance's IAF on interoperability testing and relying party adoption.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Eurosmart: European association representing the smart card and secure element industry. Strategic partner of STA, with comparable scope but a strictly European geographic focus rather than U.S.-anchored membership.

Direct peers

• FIDO Alliance: Industry association developing open authentication standards (UPA, FIDO2/WebAuthn). Uses the same not-for-profit, member-driven model as STA and is a direct strategic partner, making the operating model, member economics, and standards-advocacy playbook highly comparable.
• PCI Security Standards Council: Governs the PCI DSS, PTS, and related payment security standards. Operates as a neutral forum funded by participating organizations, integrates payment networks and merchants, and serves as the closest analogue to STA's US Payments Forum across scope and business model.
• EMVCo: Manages the EMV specifications globally and is a STA strategic partner. Shares the standards-body, member-funded model and focuses on payments authentication — highly comparable to the US Payments Forum's remit.
• NFC Forum: Industry association advancing NFC technology standards and certification. Mirrors STA's chip-technology focus and uses the same consortium model with global sponsors and corporate members.
• GlobalPlatform: Defines standards for secure chip deployment and multi-application data management — the technical layer underpinning smart cards and embedded secure elements. Functions as a STA strategic partner with near-identical member-funded standards-body operations.
• ICMA - International Card Manufacturers Association: Global trade association for card manufacturers representing best practices, standards, and industry collaboration in card production. Strategic partner of STA and highly comparable in size, membership tiers, and association operations.

Broad incumbents

• Cloud Security Alliance: Larger, broader nonprofit focused on cybersecurity standards, certifications (CCSK, CCSP), and education. Operates on a similar not-for-profit, member-funded model but covers a wider cybersecurity portfolio beyond STA's identity-and-payments specialization.
• GSMA: Global mobile network operator trade association with broad remit across mobile industry standards. Operates a much larger, older association model serving an adjacent but broader technology ecosystem than STA's secure-identity-and-payments specialization.

Others

• AAMVA - American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators: Not a competitor but a collaborating standards body: works alongside STA on ISO/IEC 18013-5 mDL standards and rollout with U.S. state DMVs. Included as a peer because it jointly co-produces the mDL ecosystem work that is a core STA deliverable.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/secure-technology-alliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Secure Technology Alliance