PCI DSS
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard
PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) is a set of security standards designed to ensure that all companies that accept, process, store, or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment.
These standards were developed by the major payment card brands (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and JCB) to protect cardholders against the unauthorized disclosure of their personal and financial information.
PCI DSS is comprised of 12 requirements that must be met by all companies handling credit card information. These requirements include:
- Building and maintaining a secure network
- Protecting cardholder data
- Maintaining a vulnerability management program
- Implementing strong access control measures
- Regularly monitoring and testing networks
- Maintaining an information security policy
Meeting the PCI DSS requirements helps to prevent security breaches and protect against the loss of sensitive information. It also helps to ensure that companies can continue to accept credit card payments from their customers.
By implementing PCI DSS, companies can reduce the risk of data breaches and protect their customers’ personal and financial information. This helps to build trust and maintain the integrity of the payment card industry.
QSA (Qualified Security Assessor) is a person or company that has been certified by the PCI Security Standards Council to assess organizations for compliance with PCI DSS. QSAs are responsible for conducting on-site assessments of a company’s systems and processes to determine whether they meet the requirements of PCI DSS.
The relationship between PCI DSS and QSA is that companies must meet the requirements of PCI DSS to accept credit card payments from their customers. QSAs are the certified individuals or companies that assess whether a company is meeting these requirements. By working with a QSA, companies can ensure that they are compliant with PCI DSS and can continue to accept credit card payments securely.