The Survival Guide to PCI Compliance

The only time you really hear about a data breach affecting a large amount of consumers is when it happens to large corporations. However, consumers have their sensitive information compromised every day when smaller companies aren’t up-to-date with their PCI compliance standards.

Cyber criminals are attacking small and midsize businesses today more than ever. Those businesses are lower risk for them and are generally easier to hack. Because of this, managed security services providers have never been more vital in helping businesses remain PCI compliant.

Train Employees and Restrict Access

One of the best things you can do in-house is ensure the people in need of access to sensitive customer information are the only ones who have the access. Still, every employee needs to be trained properly on PCI compliance practices and thoroughly understand the risks associated with a data breach. If needed, a managed security service provider can come in and hold a training session.

Keep Your System Simple

Most of the time, companies are storing way too much data than they need. Having an abundance of data to compromise is a hacker’s dream, so reduce the amount you’re storing to remove yourself as a primary target. You can consult the help of managed service providers to determine whether your system is too complex and how you can clean it up.

Constantly Conduct Risk Assessments

Probably the best way to remain PCI compliant is to always conduct risk assessments. These can be in the form of vulnerability or penetration testing. All of the best managed security services providers not only update your software frequently, but they also perform different tests to ensure there aren’t other holes in your IT security system. These are critical in getting ahead of a potential hacker and plugging up a hole before they find it first.

Work Closely With Third-Party Providers

A managed security service provider could be your savior when it comes to PCI compliance. However, the good providers will always work with you and keep you up-to-date on what’s going on with your system. Business owners are also encouraged to ask questions and be involved in the process as much as possible, so you’re working as a team rather than as separate entities.

At Single Point of Contact, we take pride in working with companies of all sizes to ensure they are PCI compliant. For more information on our practices, or how you can help protect your business with a managed service provider, be sure to contact us.