PCI DSS COMPLIANCE
Providing PCI DSS compliance services and consultancy to ensure secure card transactions
Ensuring PCI Compliance & Card Details Are Secure
Do you process, store, or transmit bank card payments? If so, it’s good practice to conduct regular PCI (Payment Card Industry) scans. These scans ensure that sensitive data is protected against cyber threats, thus maintaining the trust and confidence of your customers.
PCI scanning is more than a compliance best practice; it’s a critical component of your cybersecurity framework. By identifying vulnerabilities and potential breaches in your systems, PCI scanning services play a pivotal role in safeguarding your business data.
We provide detailed assessments followed by actionable insights and support to address any vulnerabilities, helping you to stay ahead of emerging threats. By partnering with Akita, you’ll take a proactive step towards securing your business and your customers’ information.
PCI Compliance UK
What Is PCI Scanning?
PCI scanning is a network security check that forms part of a globally-recognised standard required for any organisations taking payments via bank or credit cards.
Taking bank card payments requires the transmission of highly sensitive and valuable data. Because of this, if there is a weakness in your IT system setup, cybercriminals may be able to intercept this data without your knowledge. PCI scans aim to identify if there are areas of your IT systems that are potentially vulnerable.
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What’s the importance of PCI Compliance?
Performing PCI scans is crucial for ensuring the security of payment card data and maintaining a trustworthy environment for conducting financial transactions. The requirement for PCI scanning is referred to in point 11.2 of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which serves as a comprehensive set of guidelines for safeguarding cardholder data.
Although compliance with the PCI standard is not a legal requirement, the consequences of non-compliance can be severe. One of the primary reasons for performing PCI scans is to mitigate the risk of a data breach. In the unfortunate event that a breach occurs at your organisation (particularly involving payment details) the PCI Security Standards Council can impose fines on your bank. Since your bank is responsible for processing and managing the payment card data, they may pass on these fines to your organisation if it is found to be non-compliant with PCI standards. These fines can be substantial and have a significant impact on your financial stability.
Non-compliance with PCI standards can also strain your relationship with your bank. If your organisation is perceived as a risk to customer data due to inadequate security measures, your bank may view your business as a liability. In such cases, it can decide to terminate your business account, severing a critical financial connection. This termination can have far-reaching consequences, potentially affecting your credit status and ability to conduct operations smoothly.
Performing regular PCI scans is a proactive approach to identifying vulnerabilities and ensuring that appropriate security measures are in place to protect payment card data. By complying with the PCI standards and conducting these scans, you mitigate the risk of fines and penalties and demonstrate your commitment to data security and maintain the trust of your customers and financial partners.
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PCI DSS VULNERABILITY SCANNING
According to the PCI DSS, organisations operating or providing Position of Sale or merchant services must “run internal and external network vulnerability scans at least quarterly and after any significant change in the network”. Because of this, scans should take place regularly.
Scans look for weaknesses in your IT systems setup as well as any online presence you may have.
Should a weakness is found as part of a scan, it will need to be fixed. Scanning is repeated until a passing scan is made.
PCI Compliance UK
HOW AKITA CAN HELP WITH PCI COMPLIANCE
PCI compliance scans must be performed by a third-party Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV). Akita works with Qualys to conduct scans. This means that we can perform scans for independent companies and also those where we support or host their IT infrastructure and remain compliant with the PCI DSS.
Our process for PCI scanning is as follows:
- Scoping of your infrastructure
- Performing the scan
- Reporting on results, including details of weaknesses and recommended changes and fixes
- Remedying network weaknesses (conducted at the organisation’s request)
- Rescan and repeat the process
Afterwards, when a passing scan is completed, a certificate will be created.
PCI Compliance FAQ
Is PCI compliance necessary?
Yes - any organisations, merchants and service providers that process, transmit or store payment details must undertake scanning to be PCI DSS compliant.
What Kind Of Organisation Needs To Perform PCI Scanning?
Any organisation that handles credit card data, regardless of size, must perform PCI scanning to comply with industry standards and protect cardholder data.
How Much Could My Organisation Be Fined If Found Not To Be PCI Compliant?
A data breach relating to PCI non compliance could attract a fine of tens of thousands of pounds. In addition, your payment provider could increase your transaction fees - £1000 extra a month is not uncommon.
How Often Should PCI Scanning Be Conducted?
Typically, PCI DSS vulnerability scans should be conducted quarterly. However, the frequency can vary depending on the business's PCI compliance level and any changes to its network or applications.
What Is The Difference Between Internal And External PCI Scans?
Internal scans assess security within the organisation's network, while external scans focus on the defences visible from outside the network, like internet-facing IP addresses.
What Happens If A Business Fails A PCI Scan?
If a business fails a PCI scan, it must remediate identified issues and undergo a rescan. Failure to comply can result in fines, increased transaction fees, or termination of the ability to process credit card payments.
What Is The Difference Between PCI Scanning And PCI Compliance?
PCI scanning is a part of the broader PCI DSS compliance process. Compliance involves adhering to a set of requirements set by the PCI Security Standards Council, including but not limited to regular scanning.
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Get In Touch
To discuss PCI scanning and options for your organisation, please get in touch.