#4. Compliance

Are you PCI compliant?

“I just received a letter saying that I must be PCI compliant within the next 60 days. I don’t even know what PCI means.”

You may have heard the term “PCI compliance” before. What does PCI compliant even mean? How do you know if you are PCI compliant or if you need to be? What if you know you need to be, but aren’t?

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)

A security standard that companies must meet if they collect or transfer credit card data.

How do I know if I need to be PCI DSS compliant?

If your company uses credit cards as an option for payment, the credit card information that was acquired must be secured. Being PCI DSS compliant significantly reduces your chance for a data breach and eliminates the risk for damages to your company’s reputation.

What are the consequences if I am not PCI DSS compliant?

The consequences vary. Companies that aren’t PCI DSS compliant may face²:

Fines
Card replacement costs
Audits
Brand damage
Civil suits

Want to know more about PCI compliance?

Call us today and we will help guide you to becoming PCI compliant! 800.968.6482

Source: ¹ 2009 Data Breach Investigations Report, an annual study by the Verizon Business RISK team ² Disaster Recovery Planning AMI-Partners, AMI U.S. Small Business 2009 Annual Overview Study