Lessons Learned From PCI Compliance

Assessors reveal mistakes companies make with data security standard.
Whether you think PCI is a useful standard that makes our credit card data safer or a credit card industry whitewash that merely creates the illusion of security, PCI compliance is a fact of life.

As part of PCI compliance, companies that process a high volume of credit card transactions must submit to an annual assessment by a qualified security assessor, or QSA. For example, Visa requires it of merchants that process 6 million or more transactions. Assessors work for third-party organizations and generally visit companies to examine their processes and determine whether they comply with PCI rules.

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To help companies get ready for a an evaluation, we asked QSAs to describe common problems they encounter when working with IT groups on PCI compliance. What follows are five best practices to help companies better prepare for an assessment and maintain compliance. Information Week