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PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) Compliance - 03 Nov 2007

In early 2007 a major company disclosed that a hacker had stolen at least 45 million credit and debit card numbers from its network. PCI DSS or the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard was drawn up by the major credit card companies including VISA and MasterCard to help prevent these sorts of thefts.

Organisations, regardless of size, receiving credit or debit card information must comply including retail, telephone order, mail order and e-commerce to help ensure these details are securely stored.

The main aims of the standard are to:

1. Build and Maintain a Secure Network
2. Protect Cardholder Data
3. Maintain a Vulnerability Management Program
4. Implement Strong Access Control Measures
5. Regularly Monitor and Test Networks
6. Maintain an Information Security Policy

These are broken down into requirements:

1. Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect cardholder data
2. Do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters
3. Protect stored cardholder data
4. Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks
5. Use and regularly update anti-virus software
6. Develop and maintain secure systems and applications
7. Restrict access to cardholder data by business need-to-know
8. Assign a unique ID to each person with computer access
9. Restrict physical access to cardholder data
10. Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data
11. Regularly test security systems and processes
12. Maintain a policy that addresses information security

Finn Consultants can assist your compliance providing computer system, software and policy solutions with the PCI DSS standards and requirements, call us now.