| PCI Compliance affects millions of businesses around | | | | Maintaining a Vulnerability Management Program |
| the world - e-commerce businesses, retail merchants | | | | PCI Compliance Requirement 5: Use and regularly |
| and more. This article will provide you with information | | | | update anti-virus software |
| about PCI compliance and how your network security | | | | PCI Compliance Requirement 6: Develop and maintain |
| provider should help you maintain it. Whether you're a | | | | secure systems and applications |
| business owner, an executive, or an IT manager, the | | | | Your network security provider should provide some |
| following information will be beneficial to you. | | | | of the most comprehensive vulnerability monitoring |
| Payment Card Industry (PCI) is a worldwide | | | | available on the market, covering 6 distinct security |
| information security standard assembled by the | | | | domains: |
| Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council | | | | Unapproved Software: Ensure that all software |
| (PCI SSC). The standard, which is currently comprised | | | | applications installed on your computer networks are |
| of 12 guidelines, was created to help organizations that | | | | approved by your company's security policy. |
| process card payments prevent credit card fraud | | | | Suspicious Traffic: Detect abnormal traffic on your |
| through increased controls around data and its | | | | network that could indicate an attempt to access or |
| exposure to compromise. | | | | manipulate your computers. |
| The standard applies to all organizations which hold, | | | | Intrusion Vulnerability: Identify open ports or other |
| process, or pass cardholder information from any card | | | | undesired access points that could put your network |
| branded with the logo of one of the card brands, | | | | at risk of intrusion. |
| including shopping cart sites, e-commerce and retail | | | | Malware Protection: Protect your network by ensuring |
| merchants and other merchant services providers. | | | | antivirus and other network security software are |
| PCI compliance is critical for millions of businesses | | | | installed, updated and functioning properly on all |
| around the world. What about yours? And how does | | | | computers. |
| your network security provider help you to maintain | | | | Updates & Patches: Assure all critical security |
| PCI compliance? | | | | updates and patches are installed, with Microsoft's |
| Your network security provider should be able to | | | | minimum protection. |
| address at least 5 of the critical PCI compliance | | | | Security Practices: Ensure all your computers are |
| requirements. They should also support periodic audits | | | | configured and used in accordance with best practices |
| by generating reports and information to validate | | | | for network security. |
| compliance to corporate policies and identify | | | | Agents: Monitor your network security status and lets |
| noncompliance issues prior to an audit. | | | | you know how to solve any problems it detects. |
| Building and Maintaining a Secure Network | | | | Virtual Security Assistant: Provide 24/7 security for |
| PCI Compliance Requirement 1: Install and maintain a | | | | your entire network at a fraction of the cost of human |
| firewall configuration to protect cardholder data | | | | domain experts. |
| PCI Compliance Requirement 2: Do not use | | | | Regularly Monitoring and Testing Networks |
| vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and | | | | PCI Compliance Requirement 11: Regularly test security |
| other security parameters | | | | systems and processes |
| Network security providers maintain the integrity of the | | | | This includes monitoring your entire network, including |
| firewall by scanning for open ports that create outside | | | | laptops, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As a SaaS |
| access to the network. As part of an applied security | | | | enabled product, network security constantly provides |
| policy, blank passwords must be identified and | | | | updated security best practices and policies to your |
| checked against 25 other security best practices. | | | | network. |