10 Important Components of PCI Compliance Checklist for Protecting the Customers Payment Card Data

Customers are looking for services and products that they believe are suitable for them. At the same time, these people expect safer and secure means for executing their transactions.

While that is the case, businesses need to ensure their customers’ information remains protected.  For that to happen, the following components of a PCI Compliance Checklist must be met.

Top 10 PCI Compliance Checklist

1. Firewall Installation

Customers information should be protected from unauthorized access irrespective of the entry method, whether its e-commerce, e-mail access, or even wireless networks. A firewall is important as it helps in blocking any transmissions which do not meet the specified security criteria for the business.

2. Restrict Access to Data

Access to customer data should only be allowed one a need-to-know basis. Therefore, processes and systems must be implemented to ensure limited access. That way, access can be allowed at a minimum level to avoid data compromise.

3. Protect Cardholder Data

There are various processes which can be utilized in protecting the sensitive data of your customers: truncation, encryption, masking, and hashing. These can become a crucial component of the cardholder data protection plan for the business. Moreover, as a business, you need to ensure that cardholder data is not stored unless necessary.

4. Create and Maintain Security Applications

Hackers and intruders utilize security vulnerabilities and system loopholes to obtain privileged access to the sensitive data of the customer. These vulnerabilities can be remediated using security applications, and should be installed by people assigned to manage the systems.

 5.Tracking and Monitoring

You can also track and monitor the access to cardholder data and network resources. System traces, log files, or any other tools which enable the tracking of access to customer data is crucial in detecting, preventing, or minimizing a breach. Logs available enables the tracking, alerting, and analysis of intrusions when they happen.  It can be practically impossible for one to identify and remediate system or data breach without these logs.

6. Test Security Systems Regularly

Vulnerabilities of systems are discovered constantly as time goes by. Therefore, it is important to ensure that all processes, systems, and software are tested to validate their strength.

7. Restrict Physical Data Access

The physical access to systems and data must be completely restricted from 3rd party access and if necessary, the access should be granted to only an authorized person.

8. Identify and Authenticate Access

It’s essential to assign unique credentials for the identification of every individual who has access to the customers’ sensitive data. That way, you’ll be in a position to ensure every individual is held accountable for their actions. This also ensures the availability of levels of traceability.

9. Encrypt Data Transmission Across Public Networks.

Sensitive data belonging to the cardholder should be encrypted during transmission over the public networks. Most attackers target these open and public spaces due to their visible nature. As a result, they are able to gain unauthorized access.

10.  Maintain the Information Security Policy

This kind of policy allows the employee to understand what the business expects of them. Employees need to be aware of the sensitivity of data as well as their responsibility for protecting such information.

Conclusion

The above are the ten important components of PCI compliance checklist you need to keep it in your to secure your system and customers are trusting you with their sensitive payment card information. Proper implementation of PCI Compliance will protect your customer data from payment card data compromise.

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