About PCI DSS

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of security requirements designed to ensure all companies that process, store, or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment. It was established in 2006 by major credit card companies including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and JCB to protect cardholder data and reduce fraud.

PCI DSS consists of twelve main requirements covering areas such as network security, cardholder data protection, vulnerability management, access control, network monitoring, and information security policies. Organizations that handle payment card data must demonstrate compliance through regular assessments, with different validation requirements based on transaction volume and processing methods.

PCI DSS compliance steps

Establish the scope of your PCI DSS compliance by identifying all systems that store, process, or transmit cardholder data. Create a detailed inventory of these components, including networks, servers, applications, and third-party services that interact with payment card information.

Build and maintain a secure network by implementing firewalls to protect cardholder data. Configure these firewalls to deny all traffic except that which is explicitly allowed, and regularly review firewall and router configurations to ensure they remain effective barriers against unauthorized access.

Avoid using vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and security parameters. Change default credentials before installing systems on the network, remove unnecessary accounts and services, and implement strong authentication mechanisms for all access to system components.

Protect stored cardholder data through encryption, truncation, masking, or hashing. Implement key management processes for cryptographic keys, and ensure that the primary account number (PAN) is rendered unreadable wherever it is stored.

Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks using strong cryptography and security protocols. Never send unprotected PANs by end-user messaging technologies like email, instant messaging, or chat.

Develop and maintain secure systems and applications by establishing a patch management process. Regularly update security patches, develop applications based on secure coding guidelines, and implement a change management process for all system and configuration changes.

Restrict access to cardholder data based on business need-to-know. Implement an access control system with the fewest privileges necessary and ensure that access rights are regularly reviewed and revoked upon termination or role change.

Assign a unique ID to each person with computer access to ensure accountability. Implement multi-factor authentication for remote access, render passwords unreadable during transmission and storage, and establish password policies that enforce complexity and regular changes.