Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)

How good is your knowledge of digital security? You may be smart enough to prevent your own identity from being stolen, but can you protect your customers? There are steps you can take.

First, make sure your website or online store has an SSL certificate. You can get one from your web host, and once you have it, your url will change from ‘http’ to ‘https’. You might also see a little padlock icon in your web address bar, depending upon your browser.

Second, open an account with a trusted merchant account provider. This ensures that your customers’ data will be encrypted when they shop on your site. You can also decide whether you prefer for customers to make payment directly on your page, or if you want them to be redirected to your payment processors’ website and pay you from there.

Qualifying for PCI DSS

The role of PCI DSS is to ensure superior levels of encryption and assured customer safety. It tells your customers that their card information is safe on your website, and that you won’t give their details to third parties or data miners. There are twelve requirements listed under the PCI DSS.  The payment compliance requirements are:

1. Maintaining firewalls
2. Replacing default passwords
3. Protecting customers’ card details
4. Encrypting data as it crosses public networks
5. Updating anti-virus regularly
6. Maintaining secure apps and systems
7. Restricting digital access to customer details
8. Assigning a unique ID to every card-processing staffer
9. Restricting physical access to card data
10. Monitoring access to resources and databases
11. Testing security systems frequently
12. Developing a written security policy

For more information about Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), or to sign up for a merchant account, please call (888) 924-2743 or go to Charge.com.