Evaluation Pre-Screening

Avoid unexpected failures. We meticulously pre-screen your hardware or mobile application before it hits the official laboratory, identifying potential vulnerabilities early so you are 100% ready.

What Evaluation Pre-Screening Entails

S3CURE’s pre-screening methodology is a deep, meticulous dive into both the design and conformance of your product to scheme requirements. It covers several distinct layers:

• Product Design Review: We thoroughly review your design documentation or mobile application framework against current EMVCo & Scheme specifications. This identifies structural flaws that can be addressed prior to incurring security evaluation costs. Whilst it is possible to secure any implementation (with enough time and money), S3CURE's experience can advise on the security features that must simply be applied, and how best to position your product for the future, as passing the first security evaluation is one thing, but it will need to pass many more so a future proof design can make massive savings in the long term.

• Architectural Analysis & Security Preparation: For hardware-based products like Smartcards, we review the products security countermeasures against the target market security requirements. For mobile wallets, we analyse the security posture of the MPA (Mobile Payment Application), SDK (Software Development Kit), TEE (Trusted Execution Environment) and software-protection mechanisms.

• Documentation & Evidence Audit: A massive percentage of laboratory delays stem from missing, unclear, or non-compliant developer evidence submissions. We audit your design rationale and evaluation documentation to ensure it answers exactly what lab evaluators look for.

• Pre-Audit Site Readiness: If your product requires a physical or logical site approval (such as a secure development site audit required by payment schemes), we pre-audit your premises to eliminate operational red flags before official inspectors arrive.

Why Pre-Screening is Essential: The Strategic Impact

Without Pre-Screening:  [ Design ] ──> [ Official Lab ] ──❌ Fails Test ──> [ Costly Redesign ] ──> [ Market Delay ]

With S3CURE Screening:  [ Design ] ──> [ Pre-Screening ] ──> [ Fix Flaws ] ──> [ Official Lab ] ──✔️ Smooth Pass

• Drastic Cost Reduction: Failing an official laboratory evaluation means your slot is terminated, fees are forfeit, and you must pay for a completely new testing cycle. Pre-screening catches vulnerabilities when they are still cheap and simple to patch.

• Protection of the Market Window: Missing a launch window because a mobile application failed its security evaluation can break vendor contracts or hand the market to a competitor. Pre-screening ensures your timeline remains predictable.

• Streamlined Lab Communications: Laboratories operate on strict, formal protocols. By pre-screening, we compile a clean, pre-vetted compliance file, dramatically minimizing the number of technical queries (TQs) the lab will issue during official testing.

The S3CURE Edge

We don't just guess what the laboratory will look for—we helped establish the testing frameworks they use. With a foundation rooted in designing the original Mastercard CAST processes and migrating them into global EMVCo standards, S3CURE evaluates your product through the exact lens of a senior laboratory director. We turn a dense, anxiety-inducing compliance barrier into a predictable, manageable engineering checklist.