PCI DSS Compliance: Why It Matters And How To Obtain It

Whenever a business accepts, processes, or transmits payment data (e.g., credit or debit cards), it opens itself up to the risk that such data will be stolen. Hackers and cyber criminals want your customers’ credit card data. By obtaining the Primary Account Number (PAN) and sensitive authentication data, a thief can impersonate the cardholder, use the card, and steal the cardholder’s identity.

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of security controls designed to ensure that all companies that accept, process, store, or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment. If your company handles cardholder data, maintaining compliance with PCI DSS is mandatory.