iklan ads
Every business should make maintaining PCI compliance a priority in order to safeguard customer information. From restaurant to retail, service and government industries, every corporation that deals with card payments must ensure that it is following the compliance standard. As technology continues to evolve, so must our commitment to securing customer data against those who would steal it and engage in fraudulent activity.
According to the Security Standards Council, there are 12 compliant requirements that meet a variety of security goals. These goals are: Building and maintaining a secure network, protecting card holder data, maintaining a vulnerability management program, implementing strong access control measures and maintaining an information security policy. Here's your guide to the four different levels of compliance as mandated by the major payment card brands, Visa and Mastercard, as well as action items for each.
Why Should I Comply? As a merchant, you are probably wondering why you need to comply with the PCI Security Standards. These strict guidelines seem like a lot of effort, especially to small organizations. However Payment Card Security is becoming increasingly important and implementing precautionary measures could be potentially business saving. Some of the reasons why (as highlighted by the Compliance Council*) it would benefit to comply with the Security Standards are: Compliance with the standards means that your systems are secure, and customers can trust you with their sensitive payment card information. Trust means your customers have confidence in doing business with you.
You may be wondering what compliance actually translates to in your business. It could mean performing self-assessment questionnaires to ensure that your company is on track, or it could mean removing the complete numbers and expiration dates of credit cards from receipts. Quarterly scans could also be conducted to scout out any vulnerability in your system and pinpoint troublesome areas. Perhaps your company needs to install new credit card processing equipment that offers Triple DES PIN encryption. Full compliance is an ever-changing task for businesses that needs steady attention-it is not a one-time achievement.
When you stay compliant, you are part of the solution - a united, global response to fighting payment card data compromise. Compliance has indirect benefits as well. Through your efforts to comply with Security Standards, you'll likely be better prepared to comply with other regulations as they come along, such as HIPAA, SOX, etc.
According to the Security Standards Council, there are 12 compliant requirements that meet a variety of security goals. These goals are: Building and maintaining a secure network, protecting card holder data, maintaining a vulnerability management program, implementing strong access control measures and maintaining an information security policy. Here's your guide to the four different levels of compliance as mandated by the major payment card brands, Visa and Mastercard, as well as action items for each.
Why Should I Comply? As a merchant, you are probably wondering why you need to comply with the PCI Security Standards. These strict guidelines seem like a lot of effort, especially to small organizations. However Payment Card Security is becoming increasingly important and implementing precautionary measures could be potentially business saving. Some of the reasons why (as highlighted by the Compliance Council*) it would benefit to comply with the Security Standards are: Compliance with the standards means that your systems are secure, and customers can trust you with their sensitive payment card information. Trust means your customers have confidence in doing business with you.
You may be wondering what compliance actually translates to in your business. It could mean performing self-assessment questionnaires to ensure that your company is on track, or it could mean removing the complete numbers and expiration dates of credit cards from receipts. Quarterly scans could also be conducted to scout out any vulnerability in your system and pinpoint troublesome areas. Perhaps your company needs to install new credit card processing equipment that offers Triple DES PIN encryption. Full compliance is an ever-changing task for businesses that needs steady attention-it is not a one-time achievement.
When you stay compliant, you are part of the solution - a united, global response to fighting payment card data compromise. Compliance has indirect benefits as well. Through your efforts to comply with Security Standards, you'll likely be better prepared to comply with other regulations as they come along, such as HIPAA, SOX, etc.
About the Author:
Learn more about the pci compliance standards. Stop by Kate Bailey's site where you can find out all about the payment card industry compliance standards and what they can do for you.
iklan ads