PCI compliance is a set of security standards that businesses must follow in order to accept credit card payments. These standards are set by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC), and they are designed to protect businesses and consumers from data breaches and fraud.
To be PCI compliant, businesses must follow a set of requirements for how they store, process, and transmit credit card data. These requirements are divided into six categories, known as the PCI Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). Businesses must meet all six of these standards in order to be compliant.
The six PCI DSS standards are:
- Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect cardholder data
- Do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters
- Protect stored cardholder data
- Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks
- Use and regularly update anti-virus software
- Develop and maintain secure systems and applications
If a business is found to be non-compliant with the PCI DSS, they may be subject to fines from their credit card processor or acquirer. In some cases, they may even have their ability to process credit cards revoked.
PCI compliance is important for any business that accepts credit cards, as it helps to protect them from data breaches and fraud. By following the PCI DSS standards, businesses can ensure that they are doing everything possible to keep their customers' credit card information safe.
For more information on PCI compliance, please visit our website at: www.pci-compliant.com.
Thank you for reading! We hope this article has been helpful in explaining what PCI compliance is and how it works. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at: info@pci-compliant.com.