PCI Explained: Steps you need for compliance

Is your network compliant with PCI? PCI compliance is a standard for the payment card industry. All organizations and companies especially those dealing with financial matters must comply with PCI standards. We all become overwhelmed while thinking about all the policies, documentations, and programs that we have to go through.

Don’t worry, we will help you map out all the steps in a much easier and precise way. This article addresses a short checklist of everything that you need to know about PCI compliance, its checklist for compliance and requirements to become a PCI compliant.

What is PCI compliance?

PCI compliance suggests that the organization, business, or company is following the total 12 requirements under PCI DSS. The cardholder data is secured maintaining all the security measures. Moreover, there are many effective tools to audit any company’s data security system. It can reveal if there are any loopholes that can be breached or compromised.

PCI DSS was introduced to ensure that credit cards and debit card numbers are secured. It prevents the fraudulent misuse of those cards, transaction of money, and any fake purchases. Financial organizations comply with PCI to protect their credibility and their customers. The money can be retrieved to the customer in case of any mishap. but imagine the emotional and financial turmoil for both the parties.

Now what you need to remember is that PCI compliance is different from PCI certification. The certification involves the assessment of the data security system as per the PCI DSS standards and 12 requirements.

Benefits of PCI compliance – A secure Future

PCI compliance and PCI DSS enables you to get leverages and become more secure with certain advantages.

• PCI compliant businesses can safeguard themselves against any breaches and lowers the risks of any mishap.
• You can build trust in the hearts of your customers, they will trust shopping with you. It goes for online businesses that focus on data security and PCI compliance.
• Becoming a PCI compliant business or organization will enable you to avoid any extra costs that include fines in case of any data breaches. Otherwise, you’d have to file for new PCI certification.
• Ensure your security standards to the highest level as per the global industry. This shall reward you with status among market competitors to grow business a secure atmosphere and sustain your organization’s image.

What does it mean by PCI compliance? – A Checklist

PCI DSS compliance is a security standard that companies have to follow. Do you use Visa or MasterCard? Well, rest assured that these companies work on improving their security standards to safeguard customer data and private data. That’s why user and clients put their trust while using cards for online shopping.

Do you know if you are following the PCI DSS standard? Here’s a checklist for you to know, if you are on the right track.

• You can determine the PCI level by evaluating the number of transactions and then comparing them with the requirement of the credit or debit card company.
• Create a map for the cardholder data, its transactions, transfer, and storage. That also includes the system where it is stored with the help of advanced tools.
• Do you know? There is a tool named as SAQ (self-assessment questionnaire) that allows you to check if you follow the 12 requirements to be a PCI compliant.
• Attestation of Compliance ( AOC) enables you to know at which level of PCI compliance you stand. AOC is the documentation that helps you understand it.
• Based on your assessment, you can also use scanning vendors to conduct a test for finding any existing vulnerabilities. It will help you meet all the PCI standards.
• To make sure that your organization is PCI compliant, you have to submit the documents including the assessment tests, SAQ, AOC, and ASV with the bank.
• You have to maintain a team that ensures that your security infrastructure is in place. It will help you monitor the data security and immediately respond to it in case of vulnerability or any threat.

By putting security first, you can rise to global security levels and maintain a concrete image for your organization. Protecting your customer’s data ultimately helps you sustain the brand’s image and grow your business with a trusted reputation in the market.

PCI compliance is the way of future, to stay on your toes when it comes to security. Your data is your biggest asset! PCI compliance helps you protect and secure that very asset. PCI compliance is crafted as per global security standards by a council, that we have compiled here for your ease.

Become a PCI compliant – PCI Data security standard (DSS) Requirements

Here are the 12 requirements for the PCI compliance:

1. You have to maintain a firewall in order to protect the cardholder data within your own security network.
2. Usage of unique and different passwords. Follow an activity, where frequently change passwords and avoid using the same password for different networks or card data.
3. Physical and online security measures should be implemented to protect stored data.
4. Data of cardholders should be encrypted all across the network. It is advised to not store the card validation data especially when its a public network.
5. Use antivirus on all systems to protect sensitive data and update it on a daily basis.
6. Reassess the system to find any vulnerability that can be a possible target of any data breach attack. Hence, maintain a secure and safe application.
7. Restricted access to the data storage and that only on the requested basis as per the rules. It will reduce the risk of data exposure to negative elements.
8. Make the sensitive user data available only to the allowed personals and user identification and authentication methods.
9. Streamline the security process and limit the physical access to the cardholder data.
10. Maintain a regular monitoring system for access to the data network. It also includes access to certain resources and audits the trail. It will make the audit and breach investigation easier.
11. Regular testing for security systems to identify and weak points in the data processing and storing.
12. Maintain one strict policy program for data access, that applies to all the security personnel involved.

Acquire PCI Compliance to secure your business

You can create your own safe security system with a personalized atmosphere. There are PCI based software and security solutions. Do you want to build a customized PCI software to become PCI compliant? Well, now you can so the process happens as per your business needs and security preferences.

Build your own better, safer, and cost-effective PCI DSS solutions as per standards! Achieve peace of mind for your organization and your customers. Don’t delay it, become PCI compliant today!

Since you are here, do you have any queries related to PCI compliance, PCI-DSS? If you still have some confusion left, feel free to contact us.