What is PCI DSS?

 

PCI, also known as PCI DSS which stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, is an industry that runs the standards and the measures of security of businesses that transmit, store, process, and accept credit card information. Organizations that are PCI Compliant safeguard themselves from data breaches, which lead to exposure of cardholder data. If you own a business and it deals with credit card payments then you are required to meet the PCI DSS standards. You can become PCI compliant by asking your card brand to lead you through the process.

 

The PCI Security Standards Council is a group that studies the uprising PCI security issues and hence develops programs and standards to get hold of the reliability of the payment card system.

 

Categories of PCI compliance

 

PCI Compliance is divided into six main categories:

 

· Access Control
· Data Protection
· Monitoring
· Secure Network
· Security Policy
· Vulnerability Management

 

Access Control

Put Access Control into practice. Limit the password access to your system, every employee should only have access to the password he needs for his job only. Explain to them that it is best for both customers and employees. If your business gets breached then investigating the matter will be easy due to restricted access to the network.

 

Data Protection

Keep the data protected and save the physical records of customer and cardholder information, either by a physical lock and key or a card system. If your business includes manual processing of credit cards then limit the access to receipts and slips by locking up them safely. If the data is stored in your network then it should be encoded and kept behind the company’s firewall.

 

Monitoring

Monitor your network by providing each terminal and user with a unique ID number. This way in times of a breach IT professionals will find it easy to know from where the attack took place.

 

Secure Network

Create a secure network by keeping your firewalls updated and working. Under no circumstances let your firewalls go down and don’t permit employees to disable firewalls for any reason.

 

Security Policy

Make a security policy by changing the passwords now and then. As soon as the passwords are given by the vendor change them immediately. Apply the same password change policy to your employees. Change your passwords regularly as instructed by the vendor.

 

Vulnerability Management Program

Develop a vulnerability management program by keeping your system protected with the correct anti-virus software. Also, prohibit the addition of software like games that might compromise the system.

 

Penalties for PCI DSS Violations

It is better to understand what might happen if PCI DSS requirements are violated. A business that is not PCI Compliant is most likely to pay fines, sanctions and is likely to end up losing its rights from processing credit card information. If being non-compliant results in data loss; then the business is likely to pay higher fines and some additional huge fines from the credit card brands and banks. Businesses not being PCI Compliant might be subject to lawsuits and governmental actions for not being able to protect customer data.

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