subject: Why Should Your Online Business Be Pci Compliant? [print this page] PCI refers to the Payment Card IndustryPCI refers to the Payment Card Industry. The industry is governed by a set of rules and security guidelines for all the credit card users. The PCI Data Security Standard (DSS) refers to the guidelines that the council within PCI has framed. According to the set of rules and guidelines, each and every online retailer has to abide by DSS. Adhering to the standards reduces the risk of credit card information leaking to hackers.
PCI Compliance Services for Online Businesses
To adhere to the rules of the PCI and prevent fraudulent activities, online businesses need to have PCI compliant services. Fundamentally, these services are a set of security protocols that are to be followed by the websites which store, transmit, and process the credit card information of the customers. Noncompliant websites face rigid punishments from the credit card institutions, including losing the ability to process the card information and transaction. It can also result in websites getting blacklisted and not to mention the years spent in litigation and monetary fines.
It can be a tough task for any retailer to establish PCI compliance. It stands in the best interest of most online merchants to use a dedicated server for processing and storing payment information, and this dedicated service technology is provided by PCI compliance services. These dedicated services use a variety of security measures and anti-virus programs to protect credit card information.
Different Types of PCI Compliance Services
PCI compliance services include periodic security checks and audits by external vendors. The outside vendors check and verify if a site is PCI compliant or not. The auditors can also guide the companys IT staff members to implement the latest security requirements. Auditors play a key role here as a companys internal staff may not be able to identify all the potential security breaches in a websites current structure.
One type of PCI compliant service is a security scan, which involves an automatic tool that looks at the payment system for weaknesses and vulnerabilities. The scan lists out the weak points in the operating system and elsewhere, if any, that can be used by hackers to target the private network. In general, businesses need to submit a scan report to service provider every 90 days.
Another option is PCI standards for services. In this, the businesses get a dedicated IP address along with admin access and dedicated servers with additional security measures, like phishing and anti-malware programs. Also given are control management panels, protected storage, and high-performance servers. All these things lead to a safe hosting atmosphere.
Benefits of PCI Compliant Services to Businesses
Businesses that use PCI compliant services are less prone to security attack, thereby improving customer trust. In addition to all this, a business with PCI compliant services can protect its reputation as it will not have to pay any penalties. Therefore, each and every business should make sure that it is handling the online transactions and credit card information carefully and using the right PCI compliant services.
