Archive: 2018

pcipolicyportal.com offers industry leading PCI DSS compliance reporting and certification services for merchants, service providers, and other businesses located throughout Texas. From Austin to Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and other surrounding areas, the PCI DSS compliance experts at NDB offer superior service along with fixed-fee pricing for Texas businesses.

Contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com to learn more.

8 Things to Know About PCI Compliance for Texas Businesses

Compliance for Texas entities in regards to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) can be an incredibly expensive and time-consuming endeavor – but it shouldn’t be – particularly if you have a sound understanding of PCI, the roadmap to follow, and an able team of experts assisting you every step of the way.

Knowing where to start in terms of PCI DSS compliance is just as important as obtaining certification, so here’s what Texas businesses located in Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio – and all surrounding areas – need to know when it comes to PCI compliance:

1. Start with a PCI DSS Scoping & Readiness Assessment: New to PCI DSS compliance and not sure where to start? Have questions you need answered regarding scope, documentation, and the endless technical and security requirements regarding PCI DSS compliance? All signs point to a PCI DSS scoping & readiness assessment, which pcipolicyportal.com offers for fixed-fees.

Brief, inexpensive and incredibly insightful, our PCI DSS scoping & readiness assessments are essential for understanding important facets of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) mandates. Contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com to learn more about our PCI services for businesses located in Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and all surrounding areas.

2. Remediate all Gaps and Deficiencies: One of the most important reasons for actually performing a PCI DSS scoping & readiness assessment is determining what gaps and deficiencies exist in one’s control environment, but more importantly, how to go about actually correcting such issues. Keep one thing in mind – every business (and we mean every business) – will require some element of remediation to be performed, and that’s because no organization has a picture-perfect control environment.

From missing policies to poorly configured information systems, expect to spend time on essential remediation issues.

3. Implement Various Operational Initiatives: Often times, merchants and service providers will need to acquire and implement a robust set of security tools that are essential for PCI DSS compliance. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: two-factor authentication, File Integrity Monitoring, audit trails and audit logging, vulnerability scanning, and much more.

This requires time, effort, money, and patience. It also requires the expertise of a PCI-QSA who can confidently source the right tools at the right price for your organization. Pcipolicyportal.com has the expertise, so contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com.

4. Perform an Annual Risk Assessment: Performing a risk assessment is a strict mandate for many merchants and service provider undergoing PCI DSS compliance. We’re often asked what type of process and supporting documentation is needed to ensure a valid risk assessment initiative has been performed. Luckily, there’s quite a bit of flexibility on what constitutes a risk assessment, and with that said, pcipolicyportal.com offers an easy-to-use, comprehensive, and industry leading risk assessment template that’s available for instant download today with our industry leading PCI DSS Policy Toolkits & Templates.

You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars and dozens of hours on a risk assessment, just use our industry leading template and you’re good to go. Yes, it’s really that easy! Learn more at pcipolicyportal.com today, or contact us at pci@pcipolicyportal.com today.

5. Find a Competent Consultant: We’ve been performing audits and assessments for years all throughout Texas in helping merchants and service providers become compliant. It means we have years of expertise in all avenues of PCI DSS compliance. We’ve seen it all and heard it all in terms of the PCI DSS landscape, so we can guide you in the most efficient and cost-effective manner.

6. Put in place a Vulnerability Scanning Solution: The vast majority of merchants and service providers in Texas will need to perform quarterly vulnerability scans for both in-scope internal and external IPs.

7. Understand the Importance of Policies and Procedures: Documentation is one of the most fundamentally important elements of becoming – and maintaining – PCI DSS compliance. pcipolicyportal.com offers the very best PCI DSS policy packets found anywhere in the world, so visit us on the web today.

8. Know that PCI is a Moving Target: PCI DSS compliance is never one-and-done, not at all. You need to ensure you policies, procedures, and processes are maintained, functioning as designed, and reviewed on a regular basis. Call it PCI continuous monitoring.

Materdei Consulting, LLC is Los Angeles’ leading provider of PCI DSS compliance, certification, and consulting services for merchants and service providers seeking much-needed assistance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) framework.  Need help with PCI compliance, but not sure where to start?  Feel overwhelmed with the complexities of the PCI DSS framework, particularly all the security and technical requirements?  Need assistance in developing PCI policies and procedures?

Whatever your PCI DSS needs are, we can help, as we offer fixed-fee PCI DSS compliance, certification, and consultant services for Los Angeles, CA businesses. We also offer Level 1 onsite assessments by a PCI-QSA. Email us at pci@pcipolicyportal.com to learn more.

            Download PCI Policy Packet Today for Rapid Compliance

One of the most time-consuming and arduous processes to undertake for PCI DSS compliance is developing all the necessary documentation – policies, procedures, checklists, and more.  Businesses fail to recognize both the importance and the amount of time it takes in authoring PCI policies and procedures, and its why companies all throughout Los Angeles, CA – and the world – have turned to pcipolicyportal.com since 2009 for the very best compliance templates.

You can now relax and take deep breath knowing you don’t have to spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars on PCI policy creation – our PCI Policy Packets do all the work!  Just think, one of the most demanding and time-consuming aspects of PCI compliance is now achievable with the high-quality PCI DSS Policy Packets from pcipolicyportal.com.

Policy Packets for SAQ Compliance

We offer PCI policies and procedures for both onsite assessments by a Payment Card Industry Qualified Security Assessor (PCI-QSA), along with policy packets for the following PCI DSS Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQ):

• SAQ A
• SAQ A-EP
• SAQ B
• SAQ B-IP
• SAQ C
• SAQ C-VT
• SAQ P2PE-HW
• SAQ D for Merchants
• SAQ D for Service Providers

Los Angeles’ Leading Provider of PCI Compliance Certification Services

Businesses in Los Angeles storing, processing, and transmitting credit card information must become PCI compliant – there’s no debate on this – but what’s up for debate is how companies go about PCI compliance. Should they “go it alone” and hope for the best?  Should they hire an expert consultant who provides fixed-fee pricing to both Los Angeles merchants and service providers – if so – then contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com, or call us at 424-274-1952.  When it comes to providing a full lifecycle of PCI services and solutions, Materdei Consulting, LLC offers the following:

PCI DSS Scoping & Readiness Assessments:  As a merchant or service provider in Los Angeles, you’re fully aware that becoming PCI compliant is a mandate if you store, process, and transmit cardholder data, so do you need assistance in beginning the process? More specifically, are you looking for much-needed guidance on issues relating to PCI scope, policies and procedures, security tools to implement, and much more?

If so, then performing a PCI DSS scoping & readiness assessment from Materdei Consulting, LLC is a wise choice.  We’ll help you understand the entire PCI framework, identify critical gaps and deficiencies within your control environment, put in place a workable, scalable roadmap for remediation – ultimately guiding you down the path of compliance.

We’ve assisted hundreds of businesses all throughout North America, so contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com, or call us at 424-274-1952 to learn more.   Spending time on pre-assessment activities helps ensure long-term success for PCI in terms of money and hours spent.  Performing PCI compliance the right way begins by using the experts today at Materdei Consulting, LLC.

Policy Packets & Writing Services:  We offer the world’s leading PCI policies and procedures, documentation exhaustively researched and written by compliance professionals for ensuring you’re getting the very best, high-quality materials found anywhere today.

SAQ Help: The vast majority of all businesses in Los Angeles can get away with self-assessing with PCI compliance by completing one of the numerous PCI DSS Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQ) found online at pcisecuritystandards.org.  The problem, however, with self-assessing is that it’s a little misleading, an “easier said than done” scenario that often results in huge challenges for merchants and service providers.

Why? Because the SAQ documents can be very technical, causing many businesses to become frustrated as they fail to grasp the true intent of the various PCI mandates.

Level 1 Onsite PCI-QSA Audits: Do you need an actual Level 1 onsite assessment signed off by a Payment Card Industry Qualified Security Assessor, commonly known as a PCI-QSA? If so, then contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com.  We are one of Southern California’s most well-known and well-respected providers of onsite PCI-QSA assessments.  As with all of our services, we offer fixed-fees, comprehensive supporting tools and documentation, and much more.

We’ve been helping merchants and service providers all throughout the Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego area for years with Level 1 onsite PCI-QSA assessments, so contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com to learn more.

Don’t let this happen to your business.  Call the PCI SAQ experts today at Materdei Consulting, LLC at 424-274-1952 and get the advice you need.  For a fixed-fee, we’ll help you complete your SAQ document, walking you through all the material and taking the time to explain each of the mandates, what they mean, what needs to be in place for compliance, and much more.

Need PCI SAQ help in Los Angeles? Contact us Today

Don’t let your PCI SAQ process turn into an operational and financial nightmare, get help now from Los Angeles’ PCI DSS experts at Materdei Consulting, LLC.  And if you’re being required to comply with SAQ A-EP or SAQ D, then be prepared to spend a tremendous amount of time on compliance, as these two SAQ’s are the most demanding and lengthy in terms of number of requirements.

pcipolicyportal.com, North America’s leading provider of PCI DSS compliance and consulting services and solutions, offers comprehensive PCI QSA auditing and assessor services for merchants and service providers in Austin, TX. The Lone Star State is booming like never before – especially Austin in terms of economic growth – and with such growth comes with it huge compliance reporting demands.

Thousands of merchants and service providers in and around Austin, TX need to become PCI DSS compliant, so turn to the proven and trusted experts today at pcipolicyportal.com.

We offer the following PCI DSS services to Austin businesses:

PCI DSS Scoping & Readiness Assessments: New to the world of PCI DSS compliance? Unsure of where to begin in terms of compliance? PCI DSS can be an incredibly taxing and cumbersome process, all the more reason for beginning with a much-needed PCI DSS scoping & readiness assessment. Our proven and seasoned auditors will help your organization define scope, assess gaps and deficiencies within your control environment, and put in place a plan-of-action with achievable milestones for PCI DSS success.

Becoming PCI DSS compliant doesn’t have to be an arduous, time-consuming process, not when you begin with a PCI DSS Scoping & Readiness assessment from pcipoliyportal.com.

Information Security Policy Writing: A large part of becoming – and staying – compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) framework is having developed all the required information security policies and procedures. PCI DSS is a big documentation exercise, make no mistake about it. Sure, it’s a very technical assessment, but you’ll need to have up to fifty (50) different stand-alone policies and procedures to meet the overall intent and rigor of the current PCI DSS framework.

We have them. In fact, we’ve been developing PCI DSS policies since 2009, making us the longest – and largest – provider of PCI documentation to businesses all throughout the world.

For Austin merchants and service providers, this means you’re in good hands when it comes to PCI DSS policies. From SAQ-A to full-blown Level 1 onsite assessments – and everything in between – we have the necessary documentation you need for becoming PCI compliant. Email us at pci@pcipolicyportal.com to learn more about our services for Austin businesses. All of our PCI policy templates and toolkits are available for instant download today.

Technical/Security Remediation: Many of the actual PCI DSS requirements needed for remediation are technical in nature, meaning you may find yourself spending considerable time – and money – in re-configuring system components, along with acquiring and implementing the necessary security solutions. Often times, merchants and service providers will find themselves re-configuring servers to industry standards, writing stronger firewall rules, enhancing password complexity rules, and much more.

And there’s also the need for purchasing numerous security tools and solutions, such as File Integrity Monitoring (FIM), intrusion detection systems, vulnerability scanning tools, and more. Seems overwhelming, but pcipolicyportal.com can assist in all aspects of technical remediation. We can find the right solutions and the right price for your business, so contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com to learn more.

Security Awareness Training: One of the best measures Austin businesses can take for helping promote workplace awareness for security issues and threats is none other than security awareness training. It’s cost-effective, easy-to-implement, and it’s also a strict requirement for complying with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). We offer comprehensive PCI DSS security awareness solutions and programs for Austin merchants and service providers, so contact us today to learn more.

Risk Assessments: Performing an annual risk assessment is a strict requirement for many merchants and service providers having to become PCI DSS compliant. Yet performing a risk assessment can be an arduous process, thankfully now made easy by our industry leading documentation that includes comprehensive risk assessment templates. Within just a few short hours, you can quickly and easily document all relevant risks to your internal controls.

Our PCI Policy Packets contain essential risk assessment documents for helping you save both time and money, while also becoming PCI DSS compliant.

Penetration Testing: The vast majority of merchants and service providers that have to become PCI DSS compliant also have to undertake an annual penetration test, and actually, twice a year. This can be an expensive and time-consuming process, so talk to the pen test experts at pcipolicyportal.com today to learn more about our penetration testing services and solutions for Austin, TX businesses.

QSA Assessments: Many Austin businesses will have to undertake an annual PCI DSS compliance audit via an onsite assessment – known as a Level 1 audit – by a Payment Card Industry Qualified Security Assessor (PCI-QSA). Onsite assessments are dreaded by many companies – and understandably so – as they can be incredibly time-consuming, challenging, and costly.

Want to save thousands of dollars and hundreds of man-hours, then contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com to learn more about a proven, affordable, and scalable solutions for onsite assessments.

Additional Services: pcipolicyportal.com also provides in-depth, fixed-fee pricing for penetration testing, which is a strict mandate under Requirement 11 of the PCI DSS standards. Such testing is often season as time-consuming – and expensive – yet we have a proven methodology in place for saving both time and money. Additionally, we can help set your business up with a proven, reliable, and cost-effective vulnerability scanning provider also.

Regarding Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards (DSS) compliance, commonly known as PCI DSS, there’s seems to be some confusion at times as to what CAN and CANNOT be stored. The PCI DSS standards are actually quite clear on this, so here they are. The following information CAN be stored for purposes of complying with PCI DSS:

• The Primary Account Number (PAN)
• Cardholder Name
• Service Code
• Expiration Date

Please keep in mind, though you are permitted to store this information, it needs to be “protected”. How so? By ensuring the PAN is rendered unreadable, by methods such as encryption, hashing or truncating.

What Merchants/Service Providers Should NOT Store – Sensitive Authentication Data (SAD)

Regarding PCI DSS compliance, the following is a list of information which should NOT be stored (however, there are exceptions, which we’ll discuss):

• Full Magnetic Stripe/Track Data (Track 1 and Track 2)
• CID, CAV2, CVC2, and CVV2 codes
• Pin and Pin Block

The exceptions to this are simply the following: If there is a compelling and justified business reason for storing this data, then it may be permitted. Careful consultation with a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) can help you answer this question.

And lastly, don’t confuse the “service codes” with the “CID, CAV2, CVC2, and CVV2 codes”, which seems to happen quite often. Remember, the “service code” is actually the 3 or 4 digit number on the magnetic-stripe that specifies the acceptance requirements and limitations for magnetic-stripe read transactions. In short, it’s imbedded on the magnetic stripe on the track data, typically known as Track 1 data (you can store that, it’s allowed). The CID, CAV2, CVC2, and CVV2 codes are displayed on the cards either on the front or the back.

To learn more about the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards and becoming PCI DSS compliant, please contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com.