Short for
Payment Card Industry (PCI)
Data
Security Standard (DSS), PCI DSS is a standard that all
organizations, including online retailers, must follow when storing, processing
and transmitting their customer's credit card data. The
Data Security
Standard (DSS) was developed and the standard is maintained by the
Payment Card Industry Security
Standards Council (PCI SSC). To be PCI complaint
companies must use a firewall between wireless network and their cardholder data
environment, use the latest security and authentication such as WPA/WPA2 and
also change default settings for wired privacy keys, and use a network intrusion
detection system.
The PCI DSS standard,
as of September 2009 (DSS v 1.2), includes the following 12 requirements for
best security practices:
Build and Maintain a Secure Network
1. Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect cardholder
data
2. Do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security
parameters
Protect Cardholder Data
3. Protect stored cardholder data
4. Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks
Maintain a Vulnerability Management Program
5. Use and regularly update anti-virus software
6. Develop and maintain secure systems and applications
Implement Strong Access Control Measures
7. Restrict access to cardholder data by business need-to-know
8. Assign a unique ID to each person with computer access
9. Restrict physical access to cardholder data
Regularly Monitor and Test Networks
10. Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data
11. Regularly test security systems and processes
Maintain an Information Security Policy
12. Maintain a policy that addresses information security
[Source:
PCI Security Standards Council]
The PCI DSS may also be called PCI compliance or PCI requirements.
