PCI Compliance & Pos Support

Ensuring that a user’s data is safe and secure is of utmost importance to a business owner in Colorado accepting credit cards. That’s where PCI compliance comes in.

What is PCI Compliance

PCI compliance is the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. It is designed to reduce fraud and provides a list of best practices to adhere by when collecting credit card payments. It is a mandatory set of rules that large and small merchants must comply with. If not, you’re eligible to face massive fines.

In general, PCI Compliance sets forth the following mandates:

• Build a secure network by protecting credit card data with a firewall.
• Protect cardholder data by using encryption technology.
• Protect all systems from vulnerability or breaches by keeping them up to date and free of malware.
• Minimize access to cardholder data and require user authentication to access such data.
• Run regular tests to monitor your systems to ensure the security is working as intended.
• Maintain a security policy that all employees must be familiar with and understand fully.

How to know if your business is PCI Compliant

It can be difficult to know if you’re following the PCI standards without professional guidance. Because of the nuances in the rules, many businesses make the mistake of assuming they’re PCI compliant, when in fact they fall short in several ways. This mistake could lead to a cyber attack or data breach, which is tragic for your customers and terrible for your business.

The Data Security Standard is 112 pages long and not an easy read, but, PCI compliance is not a choice, and you will lose business if you can’t prove that your operation securely protects your user’s data.

Taking steps to ensure your business is PCI Compliant

Most of the data breaches happen on the backend of POS transactions. Here’s what you can do to make sure your POS operating system is as secure as possible:

• Use secure software and patch the software as frequently as possible.
• Choose a secure POS system. Talk with your POS provider to ensure they provide the most up to date security with their hardware and software.
• Do not store your user’s cardholder data. Most POS systems will do this automatically for you.
• Change your passwords often.

Follow these steps and you’ll be on your way to running a safe and secure business!

Contact us today to schedule a consultation with Smart POS.