Payment Card Industry (PCI)

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of security standards designed to protect sensitive credit card information. PCI DSS is managed by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC), a consortium of major credit card companies. PCI DSS compliance is required for any organization that stores, processes, or transmits credit card data.

The PCI DSS standards are divided into six core requirements:

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

Organizations that are PCI DSS compliant must annualy validate their compliance by completing a Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) or undergoing an on-site assessment by a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA).

Is payment card industry data security standard legal? Yes, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a legal requirement for any organization that processes, stores, or transmits credit card data. The PCI DSS was created by the major credit card brands (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and JCB) to help protect cardholders from fraud and data breaches. The PCI DSS is enforced by the card brands and can result in hefty fines for organizations that do not comply.

What PCI means?

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of security standards created to protect cardholder data. PCI DSS applies to all organizations that process, store, or transmit credit card information.

PCI DSS is a requirement for any organization that accepts credit cards. PCI DSS compliance is verified by an external Qualified Security Assessor (QSA).

PCI DSS includes 12 requirements, which are grouped into 6 categories:

- Build and maintain a secure network
- Protect cardholder data
- Maintain a vulnerability management program
- Implement strong access control measures
- Regularly monitor and test networks
- Maintain an information security policy

Organizations must meet all 12 requirements in order to be PCI DSS compliant. What is the current PCI standard? The current PCI standard is version 3.0, which was released in 2015. This version includes a number of changes and additions from the previous version, including support for new technologies and encryption methods.

What companies need PCI compliance?

Any company that processes, stores or transmits credit card information is required to comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). This includes all businesses that accept credit cards, whether online, in-person or over the phone.

There are four levels of compliance, depending on the number of transactions a company processes per year:

- Level 1: More than 6 million transactions per year
- Level 2: 1-6 million transactions per year
- Level 3: 20,000-1 million transactions per year
- Level 4: Fewer than 20,000 transactions per year

The PCI DSS includes 12 requirements for companies to meet, covering topics such as building and maintaining a secure network, protecting cardholder data, maintaining a vulnerability management program, and implementing strong access control measures.

Why PCI compliance is required?

PCI compliance is required in order to ensure that credit card data is properly protected. PCI compliance includes a set of requirements that must be met in order to ensure that credit card data is secure. These requirements cover areas such as network security, data security, and access control. PCI compliance is important because it helps to protect businesses and consumers from fraud and identity theft.