There’s no getting around the fact that the world of security is definitely not static; it is always changing, with new threats on the horizon every day and even every hour in some cases. Therefore if your organization processes credit cards, you will have to make sure that your credit card security policies are always kept up to date as security threats change.
The fast changing world of credit card security isn’t something that you have to deal with on your own, however. You can indeed seek the services of a PCI Approved Scanning Vendor that can not only scan your network to check for any current vulnerabilities, but actually look over the unique factors of your business environment in order to build a truly custom security plan to help you maintain credit card security in a truly fast changing world.
Getting that custom touch is truly the best reason to contact an external company that is well versed in PCI compliance as well as security in general. Since security is indeed a 24/7 effort, you will definitely want to contact a PCI Approved Scanning Vendor immediately in order to get started taking care of your network the way it deserves!
There are many components to keep track of when it comes to PCI compliance as a whole, but one of the key concepts to remember is the PCI vulnerability scan. In a nutshell, a vulnerability scan is a comprehensive check to see the overall security health of your network. Conducting your first vulnerability scan can not only be very easy, but free of charge through SecureConnect®.
The reason why a PCI scan is necessary is because you will want to make sure that you don’t have any open vulnerabilities within your system; a key requirement of PCI compliance. Given that security threats happen around the clock, achieving PCI compliance is naturally only half the battle. The other component will be maintainance and proactive monitoring to help keep security a top priority.
Overall, you will definitely want to conduct a PCI scan regularly to make sure that everything on your network is in proper order.
PCI compliance is something that many businesses of all sizes struggle with — it truly is one of the most important set of requirements to follow when it comes to processing customer financial information. For high transaction businesses, managing PCI requirements can become even more of a headache. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be this way at all. It is quite possible to achieve PCI requirements effortlessly without taking away from the core business objectives you have to focus on first and foremost.
The key to achieving PCI requirements effortlessly is to start with security as a high priority. Since the underlying goal of PCI compliance is to protect consumer data, the best place to start is making sure that your network is completely secure from top to bottom.
Naturally, this is not a one-time process, but something that will have to become an ongoing routine for you and your organization. If you’re not sure where to begin, you may want to stop and get a free vulnerability assessment from a PCI Approved Scanning Vendor that can work with you to close any open problems and help you achieve as well as maintain PCI requirements. We can provide you with a free vulnerability scan - contact us today!
Given that security is a 24/7 task, you will want to make sure you get started today in order to get a truly secure system!
As merchants continue to struggle with the complexities of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), the PCI Security Standards Council (SSC) has released a video to simplify its message about PCI requirements. The video focuses on the basic concepts of all 12 requirements, using humor and imagery to keep viewers’ attention. Characters in the video such as “Anti-Virus” and a big bad wolf help illustrate the proper measures needed to secure a business and achieve compliance.
Build and Maintain a Secure Network
Requirement 1: Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect cardholder data.
Requirement 2: Do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters.
Protect Cardholder Data
Requirement 3: Protect stored cardholder data.
Requirement 4: Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks.
Maintain a Vulnerability Management Program
Requirement 5: Use and regularly update anti-virus software.
Requirement 6: Develop and maintain secure systems and applications.
Implement Strong Access Control Measures
Requirement 7: Restrict access to cardholder data by business need-to-know.
Requirement 8: Assign a unique ID to each person with computer access.
Requirement 9: Restrict physical access to cardholder data.
Regularly Monitor and Test Networks
Requirement 10: Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data.
Requirement 11: Regularly test security systems and processes.
Maintain an Information Security Policy
Requirement 12: Maintain a policy that addresses information security.
Achieving PCI compliance is a complex process based on these 12 requirements. If you have questions, please contact us for a free PCI consultation! We can help you secure your business and become compliant with our comprehensive SecureConnect® solution.
Under a Washington law effective July 1, 2010, certain entities including businesses, processors and vendors involved in payment card transactions may be liable to financial institutions for costs associated with reissuing payment cards after security breaches. Under the law, an affected entity is one that processes more than six million credit card and debit card transactions annually. Currently, this would include level one and two merchants; however, future laws will likely include levels three and four as well.
The new law is an addition to the state’s breach notification statute, and states that if a processor or business fails to take reasonable care to guard against unauthorized access of payment card data, that business is liable to the relevant financial institution for reasonable costs associated with the reissuance of payment cards to Washington residents. Meant to mitigate potential or future damages to the state’s residents, the law determines liability from the level of negligence on the part of a business.
The law encourages PCI compliance, stating that if a business is in compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) prior to the breach, liability will not fall on the merchant. Washington is not the first state to enact laws surrounding security breaches and data protection. California, Nevada, Minnesota and Massachusetts have all put laws in place to help protect residents and businesses from the devastating effects of a data breach.
Protect your company, customers and brand with SecureConnect®. Contact us today to learn more about our easyPCI packages and how we can help you achieve PCI compliance at an affordable price!
