If you are accepting credit card payments from your customers, then you need to follow PCI regulations. These standards protect data from online consumers. Data breaches are becoming more common with time. Thus, it is very important to protect your customer data from attackers. Even large companies like Uber and Equifax are getting attacked. Also, it is important to win the trust of your client If you are PCI compliant, then your clients will trust you more.

What is PCI compliance?

PCI compliance is helping companies in protecting their customer data. The two important standards of PCI compliance are:

Credit card information data on site: This applies to companies that are storing their client’s credit card data. If you are not storing your client’s data, then you don’t need to worry about this point. However, if you are storing your client data in on-site storage then you need both physical and virtual security.
Transmission of credit card information: If someone is sending credit card info, then their data is vulnerable. It is important to use methods like passwords for securing information.

If you are dealing with financial information, then you need to PCI regulations. These regulations will ensure that you are protecting your client data.

PCI Checklist

If you are not following PCI compliance, then it can be costly for you. There are various legal fines that you need to deal with. Also, your company’s reputation will get affected by a data breach. It is important to have a PCI checklist. You can use this checklist for ensuring that you are compliant.

This checklist will ensure that you are meeting every requirement. These requirements will change according to your transaction volume. You should monitor your financial transactions. After that, you should choose the compliance level of your company. You can follow this guide for ensuring that you are PCI compliant.

Install Firewall

The firewall will help you in protecting your network from attackers. It is the most important part of your security system. The firewall will help you in protecting your client data. It will ensure that only authorized people can access your network.

You should also maintain your firewall. If you want to increase its efficiency, then you must use a better firewall configuration. You should also test your firewall on a regular basis.

Protect Cardholder data

You should find vulnerabilities in your system. It is important to use virtual and physical security for protecting your client data. This will help you in winning the trust of your customers. Some of the common security measures are:

You should lock your servers.
Always strong passwords.
Use better security protocols.
You should lock your storage cabinets.

It is also important to make an inventory of security measures. This will help you in spotting problems.

Encrypt Transmission

You have to protect cardholder information while it is in transit. Make sure that you are using encryption for sending your client data. This will increase the security level of your application. Thus, attackers can’t access your client data without decrypting it first.

Use Anti-virus software

You should also use the latest anti-virus software for protecting your client data. Many companies are using outdated anti-virus software. It is important to ensure that you are using the latest version of your anti-virus. Also, you should use the anti-virus software of a reliable company. Your IT department should update the virus database regularly. Also, you should regularly check your server for the virus.

Develop Secure Applications and Systems

Most companies are using third-party and proprietary systems. It is important to ensure that these systems are secure. There are many benefits to using third-party apps. However, you should first make sure that these applications are secure. There are many apps in the market that can steal your data. Thus, you must ensure that you are only using reliable apps.

Assign Unique IDs

It is important to use access controls. This will limit the traffic on your network. Thus, it will reduce the chances of a data breach. You should also track the activities of your users. First, you should assign a unique ID to every system. This will help you in tracking your users. Thus, you can easily find the culprit in case of an internal breach.

Restrict Physical Access

It is important to protect your data from hackers. However, it is not sufficient. You should also ensure that only authorized personnel can access your physical server.

This step applies to your hardware, servers and paper records. If you are storing paper records, then ensure that it is stored in a safe location. This area must be locked all the time.

Test Security Processes

You should install firewalls, antivirus and security systems in your systems. Also, it is important to increase the physical security of your data center. These steps are very important for protecting your client data. However, it is also important to test your existing applications.

These tests are similar to fire drills. It will ensure that your security systems are working properly. If there is any vulnerability in your system, then you must fix it. This will ensure that your system is secure. Even the best security system can fail. Thus, proper testing is very important.

Conclusion

It is important to win the trust of your customers. If you are PCI compliant, then your customers will feel confident. They won’t worry before sharing their financial data. It will also help you in winning the trust of business partners. You can use the above checklist for ensuring that you are PCI compliant. PCI compliance is important for companies that are storing financial information. These practices will help you in maximizing your data protection strategies. Thus, it will protect your company from security breaches. If you want more information regarding PCI compliance, then you can contact Bleuwire.

Contact us today to learn about Bleuwire™ services and solutions in how we can help your business.