The PCI DSS, a set of comprehensive requirements for enhancing payment account data security, was developed by the founding payment brands of the PCI Security Standards Council, including American Express, Discover Financial Services, JCB International, MasterCard Worldwide and Visa Inc. Inc. International, to help facilitate the broad adoption of consistent data security measures on a global basis.
The PCI DSS is a multifaceted security standard that includes requirements for security management, policies, procedures, network architecture, software design and other critical protective measures. This comprehensive standard is intended to help organisations proactively protect customer account data.
The PCI DSS must be met by all organisations (merchants and service providers) that transmit, process or store payment card data. The PCI DSS (sometimes referred to as a compliance standard) is not a law. It is a contractual obligation applied and enforced - by means of fines or other restrictions - directly by the payment providers themselves.
PCI DSS Core Principles
The core of the PCI DSS is a group of principles and accompanying requirements, around which the specific elements of the DSS are organised:
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 |
