Secure CCaaS platforms with PCI DSS compliance for payment processing

Since 2005, more than 800 million customer records have been exposed due to more than 4,500 data breaches. These are the latest figures from The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, which reports on data leaks and security breaches affecting consumers since 2005.

A basic regulation for data security was created to improve the security of consumer data and trust in the payments ecosystem. The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) was established in 2006 by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and JCB to monitor companies’ credit card data security standards. Before the creation of the council, many credit card companies had their programs with security standards, although they all shared fairly similar requirements and objectives. 

To adopt unified standards, they joined together in the PCI SSC. They established the PCI Data Security Standards (known as the “PCI regulate “n”) to ensure” maximum protection for consumers and banks in the era of the Internet.

Understanding PCI regulations is not an easy task

If your business model requires you to receive your clients’ card data, you may have to pass each one of the more than 300 security checks stipulated by this regulation. The official documentation consists of more than 1,800 pages (more than 300 just to understand what forms to use to guarantee compliance). 

To save you the dozens of hours it would take you to read (and understand how to apply in each case) the PCI regulations; Tata Communication has prepared this step-by-step guide on how to validate and ensure compliance.

What is PCI DSS compliance?

Data protection in payment processing, especially when using online methods, has become a serious issue in recent years as electronic payments have gained rapid momentum. To prevent fraud associated with the theft of card data, the largest card networks have cooperated and developed the PCI data security standard. These are a set of security measures that protect Complete card details and other sensitive data used in financial transactions. 

Since then, any organisation that accepts, processes, transmits, or stores cardholder payment data must meet the standards of the PCI DSS standard. Institutions required to comply with PCI DSS include banks, merchants, payment service providers, and other organisations involved in processing electronic payments.

So, what are the essential requirements for PCI DSS compliance?

Provisions of the PCI DSS standard cover aspects such as:

• Development and improvement of secure network infrastructure
• Protecting cardholder data with encryption and other security methods
• Monitoring the update process of system components and antivirus software
• Control and distinction in access to information resources
• Periodic testing and monitoring of system security
• Information security policy

As we see, the requirements of the PCI DSS standard cover the security of the information infrastructure at all levels. Assume a corporation handles the processing, transfer, or storage of client card data. In that circumstance, both internal specialists and partner businesses must keep information secure at all times.

For instance, Tata Communications doesn't directly handle your sensitive information, such as cardholder data (CHD) or sensitive authentication data (SAD). Instead, we provide you with the robust foundation you need to build your own secure data environment. This means you have the flexibility to set up your systems according to your specific needs and compliance requirements, including PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard). 

Why is PCI DSS compliance important for a payment gateway?

Convenient one-click online payments on e-commerce sites frequently backfire on cardholders. Card data leaks and theft have increased significantly as online purchasing has grown at an unprecedented rate. Since a payment gateway is essential for processing online payments, integrating a gateway without PCI DSS compliance can carry many risks, including possible leaks of your customer’s security to third parties and the use of this data for fraudulent purposes. Of course, these moments are a huge blow to a business’s business. Therefore, creating a secure payment environment is essential.

The PCI DSS standard is universally applicable to payment service providers and Internet acquisition and processing companies. The same is true for payment gateways, which are directly responsible for securing transaction data. As a result, every merchant that values their reputation will take all necessary precautions to maintain the maximum security of their customers’ seconsumers’sitird data, including using a PCI DSS compliant payment gateway.

There are four levels of PCI DSS compliance based on an organisation’s yearly transaction volume:

Level 1: over 6 million transactions annually.

Level 2: involves 1-6 million transactions per year, whereas 

Level 3: involves 20 thousand to 1 million transactions annually.

Level 4: up to 20,000 annual transactions.

It should be noted that validation of PCI DSS Level 1 compliance is carried out only by an independent auditor, Qualified Security Assessors (QSA). The certification procedure for this level of PCI DSS compliance includes an extensive audit of the security infrastructure. This approach includes the collection of company information, the creation of recommendations and regulatory papers required to comply with the standard, and consulting help during implementation. To confirm compliance with other levels of the PCI DSS, a company will need to complete the SAQ self-assessment sheet or perform an ISA internal audit.

Who needs a PCI DSS-compliant payment gateway?

The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI DSS) requires all banks, merchants, providers, and other institutions involved in payment processing to comply with the PCI DSS standard. Without it, the organisation cannot be considered trustworthy, and you cannot trust it with your data. A payment gateway functions similarly to a traditional point-of-sale terminal in a physical store. Your main task in online payment processing is to ensure the complete security of sensitive customer credit card data. Among the security measures that a gateway usually adopts are encryption, tokenisation, and others. 

To keep all data encrypted and secure, e-commerce companies hire PCI DSS-compliant gateways to process transactions. Therefore, integrating a PCI DSS-compliant payment gateway is a necessity for merchants who aim to offer quality services and build customer loyalty quickly.

Conclusion

Our online payment platform stands out for its focus on security and data protection, and this is also reflected in its PCI DSS compliance certification. Meeting rigorous PCI DSS standards ensures that sensitive user information, like credit card data, remains secure at all times. This is achieved by implementing robust security controls and measures, such as data encryption, two-factor authentication, and intrusion protection.
Also, when you choose Tata Communications for your Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) needs, you're partnering with a provider that understands the complexities of data handling. While we focus on delivering top-notch hardware and network infrastructure, we also respect the boundaries of your data environment.