What is PCI DSS?

PCI DSS stands for ‘Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard’. This is a set of security requirements created by the Payment Card Industry, laying out what Merchants need to do to protect customer information. The PCI Council (which is an industry body made up of organizations like Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, etc.) requires that Merchants meet this set of security requirements if their business accepts, transmits, or processes customer payment cards (such as credit cards or debit cards). Merchants that do not comply with these requirements can be penalized in a number of ways, up and including having their card-processing privileges revoked, leaving them unable to accept customer payment cards.

Get a copy of the PCI DSS. It should be noted that this site gives Merchants additional tools and advice to help them deal with the requirements of the PCI DSS.

What is a Data Compromise?

A data compromise or breach occurs when cardholder data has been lost or stolen. The most common breaches occur by:

  • Theft of property which included cardholder data
  • Stolen laptop or computer files
  • Missing or stolen reports that may contain cardholder data
  • Unlawful theft of cardholder data by an employee

How You Can Protect Yourself

As a business, your customers and employees trust you with sensitive information. Learn more about what you can do to keep their data safe by visiting the FAQ section or contact our PCI Compliance department at 1-877-267-4324 (option 8) for assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions Glossary of Technical Terms