Vehicle Security Professional (VSP) System Launches in Canada

The Canadian automotive aftermarket industry associations that partnered with the vehicle manufacturers’ associations to create the Canadian Automotive Service Information Standard (CASIS) in 2009  has announced the official launch of a major new component of the program.

The Vehicle Security Professional (VSP) is a data exchange system conceived and designed by the independent repair community and the insurance and law enforcement communities to allow eligible automotive professionals and locksmiths to gain access to vehicle specific security information. The VSP system has been developed as a mechanism to facilitate the secure transfer of highly sensitive vehicle security information. After passing a comprehensive screening process and obtaining a Vehicle Security Professional identification number, a VSP can now log onto vehicle manufacturer service information websites that they subscribe to and access security-related service information (i.e. key codes, PIN numbers, immobilizer reset information and other similar types of information).

“Until the development of the VSP program, aftermarket service professionals were unable to provide certain types of services to customers because their completion was dependent on the use of security-related information,” explained John Norris, collision division chair of the National Automotive Trades Association (NATA), one of the two national aftermarket associations involved in setting up the program. “Over the past several years, the incidence of these types of repairs has increased due to the proliferation of advanced security technology on large populations of mid-priced vehicles.”

“VSP allows access to security-related information while protecting the safety and security of consumers and the integrity of automobile security systems. With this system in place, consumers can choose their service providers based on preference while maintaining security at its highest level,” noted Marc Brazeau, President of AIA Canada, the co-developer with NATA of the VSP program.

A registered VSP is only allowed to access this information at the request of a customer and is required to follow strict positive identification standards to ensure that they in fact have the authority to access the information. The VSP system will operate in a similar fashion to that in the US, where transactions are monitored by the National Insurance Crime Bureau and are accessible by the Insurance Bureau of Canada Investigative Services and law enforcement agencies in Canada.

To learn more or to become a Vehicle Security Professional visit www.vehiclesecurityprofessional.ca