PCI DSS Policies & Procedures and Policy Templates for Banking & Financial Services

pcipolicyportal.com offers comprehensive, industry leading PCI DSS policies & procedures and policy templates for the banking and financial services sector. With thousands of satisfied customers since 2009, pcipolicyportal.com offers documentation that results in rapid and complete compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS).

The banking & financial services sector within North America has traditionally been faced with heavy regulatory compliance mandates, and now the PCI DSS provisions are adding yet another layer on it. What’s needed is in-depth expertise for helping financial institutions become compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). pcipolicyportal.com offers a complete packet of compliance tools specific to the banking & financial services sector that’s available for instant download today.

PCI DSS Policies & Procedures and Policy Templates for Banking & Financial Services

Regulatory compliance just keeps growing and growing for the banking & financial services sector, with the PCI DSS standards just another mandate in a long list of regulations over the past decades. The very best way for meeting PCI DSS compliance efficiently and cost-effectively is by putting together comprehensive policy and procedural documentation, for which pcipolicyportal.com offers for instant download today. Hey, nobody really wants to spend endless days writing information security policies and procedures, so do what merchants and service providers all throughout North America – and the world – have been doing, and that’s relying on the industry leading policy templates and compliance packets from the proven and trusted experts at Materdei Consulting, LLC. Visit pcipolicyportal.com today to learn more. We offer a wide selection of policy packets to choose from for almost every possible industry.

PCI DSS Policies & Procedures and Policy Templates for Banking & Financial Services

Businesses in the financial services sector are often overwhelmed with the sheer amount of regulation for which they must comply with. It’s tedious, operationally challenging, and extremely costly – both in pure dollars and manpower costs. As for PCI DSS compliance for the financial services industry, pcipolicyportal.com has developed a specific toolkit tailored to your exact reporting needs, and it’s available for instant download today.

Services offered by Materdei Consulting, LLC for PCI DSS compliance for the banking & financial services sector include the following:

1. Scoping & Readiness Assessments: Understanding your internal control environment, internal policies, procedures, and processes is vital for PCI DSS success, and that’s exactly why we perform scoping & readiness assessments for both merchants and service providers. Look, if you’re new to the world of PCI DSS compliance – and many companies are – then it’s critically important to gain a very strong understanding of the entire PCI landscape – specifically, what systems are included in the Cardholder Data Environment (CDE), what is the CDE actually, what additional scope boundaries must be assessed, what deficiencies are present in your internal control environment, and so much more. A PCI DSS scoping & readiness assessment is absolutely essential for merchants and service providers new to the world of PCI DSS compliance, so contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com to learn more.

2. Policy and Procedure Writing: What’s one of the most tedious, tiring, and taxing exercises for PCI DSS Compliance – writing information security policies and procedures – and it’s why merchants and service providers all over the world turn to us because of our industry leading PCI Policy Packets, and so should you. We can either author the documents for you, or you can simply instantly download the packets and begin customizing them for yourself. Either option is a great way for becoming compliant quickly and cost-effectively. Visit pcipolicyportal.com to learn more, along with emailing us at pci@pcipolicyportal.com, or calling us at 424-274-1952 to learn more about our products and services we offer.

Along with needing comprehensive policies and procedures for PCI DSS compliance, companies in the banking & financial services sector will also need to perform an annual risk assessment, along with providing security awareness training to all employees. These are two mandates that require much more than just a policy – specifically – they require you to implement initiatives for ensuring such mandates are being met on an annual basis. And while they’re both a mandate for PCI DSS compliance, they’re also a best practice that EVERY business – regardless of industry, size or sector – should be doing each year. Our PCI Policy Packets – available for instant download – come complete with essential risk assessment and security awareness training materials. Simply stated, we offer the very best PCI DSS policies & procedures found anywhere today.

3. Assistance with SAQ completion: Many businesses in the banking & financial services sector must become compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS), which means completing Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) D for service providers. The questionnaire is long, detailed, and complex indeed, thus it’s highly recommended to hire a PCI DSS expert, such as Materdei Consulting, LLC. We’ve helped both merchants and service providers all throughout the country, offering fixed-fee services, so contact us today to learn more. Remember that the SAQ documents – though they stand for “Self-assessing” is not as easy as it sounds – you need assistance – and we’re here to help!

4. Vendor Selection for Additional Services: There are a large number of software and hardware tools/utilities that are often needed for compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). From firewall appliances to File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) – and more – you’ll need to ensure that you’re buying only what you need, and that the product is reputable and fits the needs of your organization. There are a tremendous amount of products on the market – many of them good, a few not so good – so being able to charter the waters of vendors can be tricky, but it’s something we can assist with.

5. Continuous Monitoring Assistance: Congrats on becoming compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) standard, but the fun is just beginning. While you may very well have achieved your initial, annual PCI DSS compliance certificate, keep in mind that you’ll be responsible for monitoring your control environment throughout the year – a concept known as “Continuous Monitoring” – and we provide forms, checklists, and templates for helping both merchants and service providers meet the rigorous mandates of continuous PCI compliance. Visit pcipolicyportal.com to learn more, along with emailing us at pci@pcipolicyportal.com, or calling us at 424-274-1952 to learn more about our products and services we offer.

6. Next Steps: Visit pcipolicyportal.com today and instantly download the PCI DSS Policies & Procedures and PCI Policy Packet for Banking & Financial Services. The documentation is incredibly well-written, easy-to-use and implement, and comes complete with all essential policy templates. Additionally, you’ll receive industry leading hardening checklists for securing your critical I.T. components, along with risk assessment materials, security awareness training program documents, and much more. We’re the leaders when it comes to PCI DSS compliance documents, so visit pcipolicyportal.com today to learn more.

PCI DSS Policies & Procedures and Policy Templates for Banking & Financial Services

Time is money when it comes to developing PCI policies and procedures, so turn to the experts today at pcipolicyportal.com. We’re ready to help. Do you really want to spend endless hours or thousands of dollars authoring PCI DSS policies and procedures – probably not – so do what thousands of businesses all throughout the globe have done and that’s instantly download the very best documentation found anywhere today when it comes to PCI DSS compliance. From essential forms to necessary checklists, training materials, and risk assessment documents, we have it all, and all for immediate download, so visit pcipolicyportal.com today and get started. From banking & financial services to manufacturing, I.T. – whatever the industry – we have you covered.

PCI DSS Policies and Procedures
PCI DSS Policies & Procedures and Policy Templates for Banking & Financial Services

PCI Policy Templates and Policies for Software as a Service (SaaS) and PaaS Cloud Computing

pcipolicyportal.com offers the very best Software as a Service (SaaS), PaaS, and IaaS cloud computing PCI policy templates and PCI DSS specific policies and procedures available for instant download today. With more and more businesses going to the “cloud” for services and solutions, it’s now time to visit pcipolicyportal.com and download the very best documentation today for helping cloud vendors become PCI DSS compliant – quickly and efficiently.

Here’s what’s included with our PCI policy templates packets for Software as a Service (SaaS), PaaS, and IaaS cloud computing businesses:

1. PCI DSS specific policies and procedures: From Requirement 1 to Requirement 12, dozens of information security policy documents are needed for compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) mandates, and pcipolicyportal.com delivers! We provide detailed, direct mapping documentation to each of the PCI requirements, saving you a tremendous amount of time and money. At approximately 300 pages in length, it includes all the essential templates you’ll need for rapid PCI DSS certification and compliance. The documentation is perfect for customization to any cloud environment, from Amazon AWS EC2 to Microsoft Azure, or any other type of cloud environment, and it’s been written and reviewed by leading experts in the Payment Card Industry (PCI DSS), so visit pcipolicyportal.com to learn more about our selection of compliance & policy toolkits for the cloud!

2. Organizational security policy manual: Looking also for an enterprise-wide InfoSec document that is a separate set of policies and procedures from your isolated PCI DSS environment? If so, then the PCI policy templates and PCI Policy Packets from pcipolicyportal.com are just what the cloud doctor ordered. Many companies like to keep their PCI policies separate and different from overall enterprise-wide documentation – and if that’s you – then these documents are just what’s needed.

3. Security awareness training documents: Software as a Service (SaaS), PaaS, and IaaS cloud providers also need to train their employees on today’s emerging security awareness issues – specifically – the threats, challenges, and best practices that all employees need to be aware of. From password complexity best practices to connecting remotely – and more – there’s a broad range of security issues to be discussed. Our policy packets include all necessary training material for cloud providers, so visit pcipolicyportal.com to learn more. Remember, one of the very best initiatives for securing cardholder data is keeping employees abreast of critical security issues, topics, and threats. We offer both a Microsoft PPT presentation and a 50 + page downloadable manual for helping ensure your employees are properly trained. Visit pcipolicyportal.com to learn more today, or call us at 424-274-1952.

4. Risk assessment materials: Assessing risk is an absolute MANDATE for PCI DSS compliance, and it’s why pcipolicyportal.com offers an in-depth, easy-to-use, professionally developed risk assessment program for Software as a Service (SaaS), PaaS, and IaaS cloud vendors. The documentation comes complete with all necessary forms, checklists, templates, and other supporting materials for conducting a rapid – yet comprehensive – risk assessment each year. Doesn’t it just make sense to assess security risks on an annual basis – sure it does – and it’s why a risk assessment is much more than a mandate, it’s a best practice every Software as a Service (SaaS), PaaS, and IaaS cloud business should be performing.

Our documentation has been developed by leading experts in the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) field; individuals with years of experience who know and understand PCI DSS compliance better than almost anyone else. Email us at pci@pcipolicyportal.com or call us at 424-274-1952 to learn more today, or visit us at pcipolicyportal.com to learn more about our industry leading cloud computing compliance packet.

5. Hardening forms: Requirement 2 of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) mandates that vendor default accounts and other security hardening measures are undertaken for all in-scope system components. From firewalls to virtual servers – and more – it’s critical that your organization spends crucial time hardening such devices before being deployed to the production environment. pcipolicyportal.com offers the very best hardening documents that are available for instant download today as part of our compliance toolkits that also contains hundreds of pages of industry leading PCI policy templates, policies, procedures, forms, checklists, and much more.

6. Asset inventory spreadsheet: Here’s a golden rule for information security for Software as a Service (SaaS), PaaS, and IaaS cloud vendors: You can’t protect what you don’t know you have, and it’s why having an asset inventory list is so critical. What’s more, the list should be comprehensive, accurate, current, and reflective of the actual environment being assessed for PCI DSS compliance. As a rule of thumb, every good asset inventory list should include the system’s hostname, description, location, relevant serial number, relevant IP address, and more. From PCI DSS compliance to SOC 2, FISMA, and more – it all begins with a robust inventory system that clearly identifies all of your information systems, and that’s exactly what you get with our Excel Asset Inventory spreadsheet.

7. And More: When it comes to PCI DSS compliance, documentation is a must for both merchants and service providers, so visit pcipolicyportal.com and browse our extensive list of incredibly well-written, professionally developed PCI policy templates, policies, procedures, forms, and other supporting documents. We’ve been the global leader since 2009 when it comes to documentation for PCI compliance, so visit pcipolicyportal.com to learn more. From Charleston, South Carolina to Cape Town South Africa – and beyond – both merchants and service providers all throughout the globe have trusted the high-quality PCI DSS compliance policy toolkits for helping become PCI DSS compliant, and now you can too! Visit pcipolicyportal.com and browse the extensive list of policy packets for the various industries we serve, which includes cloud computing.

8. What You Need to Know: First and foremost, documentation (i.e., information security policies and procedures) are a big – and often the most time-consuming process – of all the PCI DSS compliance endeavors. That’s right, documentation is king of the hill when it comes to time, efforts, and costs for PCI DSS compliance. Our cloud computing templates save merchants and service providers thousands of dollars when it comes to developing all the mandated policy documents. Visit pcipolicyportal.com today and instantly download our cloud computing PCI policy templates and PCI DSS policy packet today. Feel free to call us at 424-274-1952 anytime.

Why choose pcipolicyportal.com?

Simple; we are the undisputed leaders when it comes to essential compliance documentation for the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). Since 2009, we’ve helped thousands of merchants and service providers become PCI DSS compliant, and we can help you also! Visit pcipolicyportal.com today to learn more about our industry leading products, services, and solutions. Compliance with the PCI DSS standards is here to stay – there’s no denying that – so now’s the time to source a high-quality provider offering the very best PCI policy templates and documentation found anywhere, and that’s pcipolicyportal.com.

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PCI Policy Templates and Policies for Software as a Service (SaaS) and PaaS Cloud Computing

PCI Compliance & Certification for ATMs | Overview and Best Practices

PCI compliance & certification for Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) is an important element of today’s growing Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) mandates as these card acceptance devices are found literally everywhere today. Though they offer unprecedented levels of convenience for performing a wide variety of financial transactions, they also attract criminals, thieves, and other malicious individuals looking to circumvent security flaws found within them. While becoming PCI DSS compliant is a mandate for ATM’s – it’s also a best practice that every financial institution with such devices should be implementing, regardless of compliance – it’s therefore critically important to fully understand the initiatives needed for becoming PCI compliant for ATM’s, which consist of the following measures, courtesy of pcipolicyportal.com, the world’s leading provider of PCI policies and procedures and PCI policy templates & toolkits:

1. Understand Scope: Who owns the ATM? What banking & financial services does it interact with? What managed services providers are involved in configuring and updating the ATM software, such as the applications, and the underlying operating systems? These are just a few of the many questions that need to be answered prior to beginning any type of official assessment on such an environment. It’s therefore important to conduct a PCI DSS readiness assessment for any type of ATM environment. Some Qualified Security Assessors (QSA) – individuals responsible for certifying merchants and service providers with PCI DSS compliance – are also looking at ATM’s as merely an extension of services of an entity’s broader PCI DSS platform, thus including it in such an assessment instead of carving it out as a separate environment. There are circumstances where this is generally allowable, and then there are times when this is probably not the best avenue for compliance.

2. Defining “Maintenance” Services: While banks and other financial institutions have long outsourced many of the core maintenance services for ATM’s – most of them operational maintenance – who’s doing the necessary security upgrades and patch management functions for the underlying systems in scope? Sure, the likes of Diebold and other similar companies are often responsible for managing the surveillance equipment, while also performing necessary parts and labor functions, but you’ll need to clearly assess the I.T. aspect of PCI DSS compliance. Specifically, operating systems need to be updated, along with the underlying applications residing on the server, thus the importance of a well-thought out security and patch management program – one complete with established policies and procedures – is absolutely vital to the success of a PCI DSS assessment, but it’s also a best practice that should be performed.

3. The Value of an ATM PCI DSS Readiness Assessment: The complexities involved in PCI DSS compliance for ATMs is much higher than many traditional environments seen by PCI-QSA’s, therefore, understanding important scope considerations is absolutely vital, along with identifying critical gaps and weaknesses that exist within the entire ATM platform. There are many technical measures to assess for ATM PCI compliance, but don’t forget about evaluating the documentation aspects of PCI compliance – specifically – policies and procedures. These initiatives, and much more, are covered with NDB’s comprehensive readiness assessment.

4. The need for Critical Policy Documentation: One of the initiatives often overlooked by ATM providers – in truth, almost any company undertaking PCI DSS compliance – is the need for documentation. Specifically, a large amount of information security and operational policies and procedures are mandated throughout the 12 PCI Requirements, but developing them can be incredibly time-consuming and costly. The solution is downloading a set of customized PCI Policy Templates for the ATM industry, and pcipolicyportal.com has then available for instant download today. Additionally, you’ll also need to perform an annual risk assessment along with undertaking security awareness training for all in-scope employees; two critical initiatives that require a healthy dose of high-quality documentation for helping you be successful. Once again, pcipolicyportal.com provides both risk assessment materials and security awareness documents, available for instant download at pcipolicyportal.com.

5. Who’s in scope: One of the most demanding aspects of PCI DSS compliance is tracking all relevant third-party service providers that are technically in-scope for an organization’s annual PCI certification requirements. For ATM’s, often the financial institution is the entity undergoing compliance, but many other providers are also in play, such as the organization offering physical and software maintenance, the building provider for where the actual ATM resides, and more. You’ll want to avoid the much dreaded “scope creep” at all times, so proper planning at the beginning is absolutely vital for getting it right the first time. Proper planning essentially means developing all necessary policies and procedures for PCI DSS compliance, so talk to the experts at Materdei Consulting, LLC, and visit pcipolicyportal.com today.

PCI Compliance & Certification for ATMs | Overview and Best Practices

Contact PCI-QSA Charles Denyer at cdenyer@ndbcpa.com or call him at 214-298-8532 to discuss your PCI DSS needs. With years of experience and expertise in regulatory compliance – particularly within the financial services sector – Charles will help guide your organization through the entire PCI DSS process from beginning to end. From essential PCI DSS policies to readiness assessment initiatives – whatever your PCI DSS compliance needs – we’re ready and willing to help you today, so contact us now and let’s get started. And if you need PCI policies and procedures authored for your organization, we’re willing to assist, offering fixed-fee pricing on all of our services.

PCI Compliance & Certification for ATMs | Overview and Best Practices
PCI Compliance & Certification for ATMs | Overview and Best Practices

Download Credit Card Security Policy Template for PCI DSS Compliance

Looking for an easy-to-use, industry leading credit card security policy template for PCI DSS compliance, then reach out to the proven experts today at Materdei Consulting, LLC by visiting pcipolicyportal.com today and downloading the professionally developed PCI Policy Packets. Since 2009, businesses all throughout the world have relied on the expert documentation from pcipolicyportal.com and now you can also!

Merchants and other businesses storing and processing credit cards need to become compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS), which essentially means obtaining high-quality, professionally developed credit card security policy templates for helping enable rapid and complete compliance. pcipolicyportal.com has been the industry leader in helping thousands of businesses become PCI compliant, and it all starts by downloading our professionally develop documents today.

Download Credit Card Security Policy Template for PCI DSS Compliance

Do you really want to spend endless hours authoring credit card security policy templates – probably not – so why not do what thousands of businesses all around the world have done, and that’s visit pcipolicyportal.com and download the very best documentation found anywhere today. Whatever the industry may be, pcipolicyportal.com has you covered with professionally developed credit card policy templates that are available for instant download.

Remember something very important about PCI DSS compliance – documentation is often the most demanding and time-consuming deliverable when it comes to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) provisions. Think about it – who really wants to spend hundreds of hours authoring credit card security policy templates – not many people – and it’s why such large gaps are seen with companies seeking to become PCI DSS compliant.

Our PCI  Templates & Toolkits Save Thousands of Dollars on PCI Compliance

Whatever the industry you are in, size of company or location, pcipoliyportal.com has a set of credit card security policy templates ready to help assist with rapid and complete compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). We’ve been developing PCI compliance documentation longer than anyone else, which means we know PCI compliance, inside and out. Leave the hard work and heavy lifting policy writing to the experts today at pcipolicyportal.com. Think PCI DSS compliance is going away – think again – as the mandates just keep spreading like wildfire for businesses all throughout the globe. Wherever you are located, if your business accepts credit card information, then becoming compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards is an absolute must, no ifs ands or buts about it.

Rapid and Complete Compliance with our PCI Toolkits

Want to become PCI DSS compliant quickly, saving tens of thousands of dollars and untold operational man-hours, then download the credit card security policy templates available right now from pcipolicyporal.com. What do you have to lose – besides – who wants to spend precious work time writing credit card security policy templates? Learn more by visiting pcipolicyportal.com today. Sure, the technical aspects of PCI compliance are incredibly important, such as encryption and properly provisioned firewalls – but don’t forget about the all-important set of credit card security policy templates. Visit pcipolicyportal.com today and get compliant with the very best documentation found anywhere today.

Download Credit Card Security Policy Template for PCI DSS Compliance
Download Credit Card Security Policy Template for PCI DSS Compliance

PCI Policy Templates and PCI Policies Packets for Southern California Merchants and Service Providers

Southern California is a bastion for technology in today’s digital arena, which also means that thousands of businesses throughout the region must become PCI DSS compliant. While often looked upon as time-consuming and laborious, the PCI DSS process for Southern California merchants and service providers just became that much easier with documentation that’s available for instant download today from pcipolicyportal.com.

Becoming compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) can be a time-consuming and laborious process, and it’s why businesses in Southern California have been turning to the experts at pcipolicyportal.com since 2009. With in-depth and easy-to-use, high-quality templates, merchants and service providers can now save thousands of dollars and dozens of operational man-hours, so visit pcipolicyportal.com to learn more.

The PCI DSS standards are growing larger each year, requiring more and more businesses to now become compliant, so getting prepared the right way means talking to the experts at pcipolicyportal.com, along with instantly downloading the very best PCI policy templates found anywhere today. Developing necessary documentation for PCI DSS compliance can take hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars – but not anymore – thanks to the experts at pcipolicyportal.com.

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PCI DSS Compliance & Certification Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, DC-VA-MD-WV

Turn to the proven and trusted PCI DSS compliance & certification experts today at Materdei Consulting, LLC for Washington, DC & Northern Virginia businesses seeking rapid and swift PCI DSS solutions and services. Since 2009, pcipolicyportal.com, our industry leading PCI DSS website, has been offering professionally developed, high-quality policies and procedures & consulting services, so contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com to learn more.

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) can cause quite the heartburn that companies are desperately trying to avoid – and understandably so – as PCI can be expensive, time-consuming and incredibly taxing. What’s the solution? Talking to the experts at Materdei Consulting, LLC – as we’ve been helping merchants and service providers all throughout the Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland metropolitan region since 2009, and we’re ready to help your business.

Our PCI Toolkits Save Businesses Thousands of Dollars

When it comes to PCI DSS compliance, it’s critical that all merchants and service providers put in place comprehensive policies and procedures – after all –it’s one of the largest and most time-consuming mandates. What’s the solution? Instantly downloading the high-quality, professionally developed PCI Policy Packets from Materdei Consulting, LLC, which is as simple as visiting pcipolicyportal.com. The Washington, DC | Northern Virginia area is one of the strongest and biggest technology regions anywhere in the country – and the world – which means there’s a number of entities clearly in the payments industry, thus becoming PCI DSS compliant is an absolute must. From PCI policies and procedures to in-depth consulting for merchants and service providers, we offer it all at Materdei Consulting, LLC.

All the Essential PCI Policies and Forms You’ll Ever Need!

We live in a world that’s awash in information security and electronic transmission of data – and it’s only going to continue to grow, no question about it. Call it what you want, the new “digital world”, the “information age” – one thing’s for sure – the use of credit cards as a form of payment will just continue to grow, so becoming compliant with the PCI DSS standards is now a must for millions of businesses. Compliance can be tough – no question about it – and it’s why you need expert advice for every aspect of PCI compliance. No rookies learning “on the job” training at Materdei Consulting, LLC – rather – professionals that have been around the block for years and will provide straight talk, honest answers, and the very best guidance when it comes to PCI DSS compliance.

From PCI Policy Templates to Consulting Services, Call us

If your businesses resides in the Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and Baltimore metro area and its PCI DSS compliance you need, then contact the payments experts at Materdei Consulting, LLC today by visiting pcipolicyportal.com or emailing pci@pcipolicyportal.com. From PCI policies to expert consulting, we’re a household name that can get businesses get compliant – quickly and cost-effectively. Credit card fraud is incredibly rampant and everywhere, making PCI compliance all the more important for any business that stores, processes, and/or transmits cardholder data. Nobody wants to become front-page news because of a credit card breach, so do the right thing by taking the necessary steps in becoming PCI DSS compliant. Contact the experts today at Materdei Consulting at pci@pcipolicyportal.com.

PCI DSS Compliance & Certification Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, DC-VA-MD-WV
PCI DSS Compliance & Certification Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, DC-VA-MD-WV

PCI Security Policies for Cloud Computing and Data Centers for Download

PCI security policies for cloud computing and data centers are now available for instant download today at the global leaders at pcipolicyportal.com. Documentation is an incredibly important component of PCI DSS compliance, yet it’s also a huge undertaking to develop all necessary policies and procedures, so do what other businesses have done and turn to the experts at pcipolicyportal.com. Companies often spend tens of thousands of dollars on costly PCI DSS solutions, many of them necessary, but still costly. What they often fail to recognize – or budget for – is the need for information security policies and procedures, and that’s exactly why pcipolicyportal.com was founded – to provide the very best, high-quality, in-depth, and easy-to-use templates, all available for instant download today.

The World’s Leading Provider of Cloud Computing & Data Center PCI Policy Toolkits

Think about this. Why spend endless hours writing information security policies and procedures for PCI DSS compliance when all that’s needed are the industry leading templates from pcipolicyportal.com? Forget about the time-consuming process of starting from scratch in terms of documentation – it’s not needed – not with the expert documentation that’s available for instant download today from pcipolicyportal.com.  Turn to the experts today for PCI security policies for cloud computing.

Save Thousands of Dollars with our PCI Compliance Toolkits – Download Now

Businesses simply don’t have the time or resources when it comes to critical documentation needed for becoming compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS), and it’s why merchants and service providers are turning to the experts at pcipolicyportal.com, and so should you. With easy-to-use forms and templates, the PCI policies from pcipolicyportal.com is the quickest and most cost-effective solution for rapid PCI compliance.  When it comes to PCI security policies for cloud computing, we deliver!

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PCI DSS Compliance & Certification St. Louis, MO – Get Certified

PCI DSS Compliance & Certification St. Louis, MO – Get Certified

Businesses in the greater St. Louis, MO area looking to become compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) can instantly download comprehensive, industry leading PCI policies, procedures, forms, checklists and other necessary documentation today! A large part of PCI compliance is document driven – meaning policies and procedures must be in place – and it’s why merchants and service providers in St. Louis, MO turn to pcipolicyportal.com and so should you.

It seems as if almost every business in North America today is storing, processing, or transmitting cardholder data – and rightfully so – as the new digital world is upon us all. Great benefits are to be had for sure, but also big responsibilities for ensuring the safety of highly sensitive consumer information, particularly credit card numbers. What’s the key to PCI compliance – documentation, no question about it – and it’s what we do best at pcipolicyportal.com.

PCI Policy Packets Available for Instant Download Today

Each of the packets – regardless of industry, and available for instant download – come complete with all necessary PCI policies, procedures, forms, templates, and other essential documents for helping ensure rapid and swift compliance with the current Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). When it comes to PCI compliance, the only name you need to know is pcipolicyportal.com, so visit us today and learn more about how we’re helping St. Louis merchants and service providers become compliant – quickly and cost-effectively!

The time for St. Louis, MO merchants and service providers for becoming compliant with the PCI DSS standards is NOW, so step up to the plate and download the very best documents found anywhere, those available right now from pcipolicyportal.com. With heavy fines looming for non-compliance, it’s important to “get it right”, which means turning to the experts consultants today at pcipolicyportal.com. Call us at 424-274-1952 today, or email us at pci@pcipolicyportal.com also.

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PCI DSS Compliance & Certification San Diego, CA | Policies | Training

Businesses in San Diego looking for expert PCI DSS compliance and supporting documentation in accordance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) mandates can turn to the experts at pcipolicyportal.com. Since 2009, pcipolicyportal.com has been helping merchants and service providers with the very best PCI policy templates and policies and procedures all throughout the globe, so visit pcipolicyportal.com to learn more. San Diego is a city literally bursting with technology, from data centers to biomedicine, and much more. Many of these businesses thus have huge regulatory compliance mandates – with the PCI DSS framework being one of the most well-known – and it’s why businesses in San Diego are turning to the experts at pcipolicyportal.com for the very best documentation and consulting services found anywhere today in Southern California.

San Diego is a bastion for technology, from data centers to biotechnology – and much more – which means many of these organizations actually have to become compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). Often the biggest and most demanding aspect of PCI compliance is writing all the necessary policies and procedures, and it’s why companies all around the world turn to pcipolicyportal.com.

Services offered by the experts at Materdei Consulting, LLC include in-depth information security policies and procedures writing, assistance with the numerous Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQ), technical remediation, and much more. Becoming compliant with the PCI DSS standards doesn’t have to be an excruciatingly time-consuming process, not when you turn to North America’s experts, so visit pcipolicyportal.com to learn more.

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PCI Compliance & Certification for Data Centers and Managed Services Providers

PCI compliance & certification for data centers and managed services providers can become an incredibly complex, subjective, and challenging proposition, thus it’s important to distill and clarify critical issues for ensuring an efficient, yet comprehensive process. With data centers and managed service providers offering a wide array of services to customers, the all-important topic of “what are my PCI requirements” surfaces very quickly. And to be fair, it’s a question that many providers seem to struggle with, so let’s clear the air and discuss important scope considerations and other relevant factors regarding PCI compliance & certification for data centers and managed services providers. Also, pcipolicyportal.com provides a data center/managed services provider policy and compliance toolkits available for instant download today. Visit pcipolicyportal.com to learn more about the very best documentation found anywhere on the Internet.

Who’s Environment Is It?
It’s important to note that data centers and managed service providers need to start by understanding it’s their environment – first and foremost – as this lays the foundation for overall scope considerations, regardless of what clients do or do not do in terms of storing, processing, and transmitting cardholder data. With that said, each of the twelve (12) PCI DSS requirements should be comprehensively examined for determining if there’s applicability to one’s business, either through service offerings to clients, or with standard initiatives already in place at the facility.

Let’s start by assessing each of the twelve (12) PCI DSS requirements and their overall applicability to data centers and managed services providers. Note that the term “managed services”, for purposes of this white paper, encompasses the following: Any organization offering managed network, O/S, and application level services whereby they are responsible for many of the core practices, such as provisioning, hardening & system deployment, patch management, maintenance, and other essential duties. As for “data centers” and/or “co-location” entities, these are facilities offering the well-known “ping, power and pipe” core services, and nothing more.

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Requirement 1: Install and Maintain a Firewall Configuration to Protect Cardholder Data. Data centers offering traditional “ping, power, and pipe” services would generally be excluded from such a requirement, but managed services providers offering network services would have full accountability for configuring ports and protocols, deploying firewalls and other essential network devices. It also means that managed services providers need to have documented policies and procedures in place for making changes to network devices, such as who is allowed to conduct such activities, what’s the process, along with other important information. Remember something very important about PCI compliance – early on you can clearly see the mandates for information security policies and procedures.

Requirement 2: Do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters. Ensuring the safety and security of system components – and the data being stored, processed, and transmitted on such systems requires implementing comprehensive provisioning and hardening measures. Specifically, removing vendor default settings, disabling insecure services, limiting access rights – and much more – is a strict mandate – and a best practice – for PCI DSS compliance. Traditional data centers would largely be excluded from such requirements, with the possible exception of having to appropriately provision and harden any border or edge devices, possibly routers.

As for managed service providers, any type of managed O/S and managed applications would require compliance with Requirement 2, no question about it. And once again, much like Requirement 1, and many other “Requirements” within the PCI DSS framework, policies, procedures – and other essential documentation – are paramount. In fact, essentially every one of the twelve (12) PCI DSS “Requirements” call for some type of documentation. Visit pcipolicyportal.com and download the industry’s very best set of PCI policies today.

Requirement 3: Protect Stored Cardholder Data. Protecting cardholder data means just that – ensuring the safety and security of the full Primary Account Number (PAN), along with any other attributable information. Remember, that “cardholder data” is the following: At a minimum, cardholder data consists of the full PAN. Cardholder data may also appear in the form of the full PAN plus any of the following: cardholder name, expiration date and/or service code See Sensitive Authentication Data for additional data elements that may be transmitted or processed (but not stored) as part of a payment transaction.

Requirement 3 focus heavily on the actual systems (i.e., databases) where cardholder data is stored. This means ensuring adequate protection is in place, such as using file or column level encryption of the Primary Account Number (PAN) and other sensitive cardholder data as needed. Remember, that the PAN is the actual 15 or 16 digit credit card number, and it must be protected at all times. As for data centers offering traditional co-location services, this requirement is largely out of scope, yet managed services providers offering managed O/S and managed application would consider requirement 3 to clearly be in-scope – IF they are managing the database or providing services to such databases storing cardholder data. Furthermore, if true managed application functions are being performed, there’s the issue of encryption and key management for data at rest, which can be an incredibly complex and challenging mandate for managed services providers.

Again, you can clearly see a line being drawn in the sand separating roles and responsibilities between data centers offering traditional co-location, and those providing managed services, and it will continue to be seen throughout the remaining PCI DSS requirements.

Requirement 4: Encrypt Transmission of Cardholder Data across open, pubic networks. From co-location facilities to managed services providers, everybody essentially has a hand in making sure the PCI DSS Requirement 4 mandates are met. And to be fair, they’re rather straightforward and require using – along with common sense – best practices found in the information security industry. Specifically, you’ll need to be using a secure protocol (i.e., TLS) for ensuring the safety and security of data traversing across open, public networks. Note also that as of 2015, SSL is NOT considered “strong cryptography” anymore, so it’s time to flip the switch to TLS.

There are a number of high-quality white papers that have been written specifically on this topic, so doing a simple Google search is your best avenue at this point for gaining more information. Additionally, the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) offers excellent information on this topic.

Requirement 5: Protect all systems against malware and regularly update anti-virus software or programs. Requirement 5 is a relatively straightforward mandate, either you’re using anti-virus or you’re not. For co-location services, the data center really has no mandate for Requirement 5, while managed services offerings are quite different, however. Additionally, one of the biggest questions surrounding the anti-virus is its use on UNIX/Linux system – or rather – it’s non-use.

Statements such as “I don’t need anti-virus on Linux” systems and “anti-virus is only for Microsoft” are common themes held by a large number of information security professionals. Even with that said – and there is validity to such statements – a best practice is to put anti-virus solutions on ALL in-scope servers within one’s cardholder data environment. There have been – and are still – a number of viable solutions for anti-virus for UNIX/Linux systems that work quite well. The PCI DSS Council has also “softened” it’s hard and fast rule on anti-virus, provided other “layered defense” initiatives are in place.

Requirement 6: Develop and maintain secure systems and applications. Requirement 6 is one of the more comprehensive and time-consuming “requirements” with the current PCI DSS framework, and for good reason. From security and patch management initiatives to numerous mandates for software development, this requirement alone can cause immense challenges. Additionally, both service offerings – traditional co-location and managed services – often have quite a bit of work to accomplish with Requirement 6, especially when it comes to the all-important topic of security and patch management. Patching is an often loathed process, and one that many companies fail miserably on, but it’s a mandate for PCI compliance, and also a best practice every business should be undertaking.

From a scope perspective, both co-location providers and managed services providers should be striving to implement the following security & patch management best practices for all applicable environments:
The policies, procedures and related processes undertaken for effectively identifying, acquiring, testing, distributing, installing, and monitoring security patches for all relevant system resources throughout an organization, including, but not limited to, all network devices, operating systems, applications, and other in-scope systems.

Interestingly, security and patch management is without question one of the most critical aspects of any type of security best practice, yet it’s also one that seems to fail miserably, lacking cohesive and comprehensive implementation. As for the PCI DSS standards, they’re very clear – and rigid – on what must be in place for patching system components. So where is the line drawn regarding patch management between traditional data center co-location services and managed services offering? It really is drawn when data centers take command of managing the OS and the applications – a clear distinction of services now being offered above and beyond that of simply co-location.

Requirement 7: Restrict access to cardholder data by business need to know. Requirement 7 is all about access control – who can access what systems, for what reason, and are they given the least amount of access to perform their daily roles and responsibilities. While the concept of Requirement 7 is relatively straightforward, the biggest issue do deal with is scope. It means ensuring you have a strong understanding of what system components are actually within the cardholder data environment, and what directory services are used for accessing such systems.

Additionally, the concept of Role Based Access Control (RBAC) must also be in place, an information security best practice defined as the following:

Once users have successfully identified and authenticated themselves, they are then authorized to perform certain functions and operations within those system resources based on specific roles afforded to them.
Again, the great divide is traditional co-location vs. managed services, whereby co-location entities would only have marginal requirements for complying with Requirement 7 (there are a few, for sure), while managed services would have to comply with ALL of Requirement 7. Talk to a PCI DSS expert for ensuring you truly understand the merits of Requirement 7.

Requirement 8: Identify and authenticate access to system components. Requirement 8 is largely about the types of identifiers (i.e., usernames) and authentication methods (i.e., passwords, passphrases, pin codes, etc.) used by individuals accessing the cardholder data environment. Once again, depending on the services provided (co-lo vs. managed services), scope can be marginal or rather widespread. Regardless of the scope, it is important to note that Requirement 8 is largely about the formalized processes and practices around provisioning users onto systems deemed in-scope within the cardholder data environment.

Requirement 7 essentially dovetails into Requirement 8 as the broader domain for bother requirements is about access to system components that store, process, and/or transmit cardholder data. And once again, information security and operational specific policies and procedures – and other supporting documentation – are essential for meeting PCI DSS compliance for these two (2) respective areas.

Requirement 9: Restrict physical access to cardholder data. is without question one of the most attainable “requirements” for PCI DSS compliance – after all – data centers come complete with a battery of physical security and environmental security controls. From access points to mantraps, closed circuit video surveillance, and numerous other monitoring devices, adhering to the Requirement 9 PCI DSS mandates is often quite achievable. What makes matters challenging is often the guidance and requirements set forth by the PCI-QSA one is using, if in fact a business is utilizing the services of a Qualified Security Assessor. While the PCI DSS mandates are rather prescriptive, the interpretation of one QSA could be completely different from another QSA, and the same can be said for all of the twelve (12) PCI DSS requirements.

Requirement 10: Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data
For any organization seeking to become PCI DSS compliant, logging mechanisms and the ability to track user activities are absolutely essential for preventing, detecting, or minimizing the impact of a data compromise. Thus, the actual presence of logs in all environments allows for comprehensive tracking, alerting, and analysis when something does go wrong. Determining the cause of a compromise is very difficult, if not impossible, without system activity logs.

As with many of the previous PCI DSS requirements, if you’re offering just traditional co-location services, then the responsibility of audit logs and audit trails shifts to the client’s and their production environment within their rack or cage. However, if its managed services being offered, the responsibilities shift back to the data center, depending on what degree of managed services are actually being offered. Again and again, it all comes down to scope and the services being provided to clients.

Requirement 11: Regularly test security systems and processes
Two of the biggest components of PCI DSS compliance are encompassed within Requirement 11 – undertaking quarterly external AND internal vulnerability scans, along with performing an annual penetration test – or when significant changes are made to a production environment. Both service offerings – co-location and managed services – should be performing pen testing and vulnerability scanning – because it’s mandates for PCI compliance, but it’s also a best practice.

Requirement 12: Maintain a policy that addresses information security for all personnel
Requirement 12 is without question the most comprehensive – and demanding – mandate when it comes to PCI documentation. We’re talking about usage policy documents, incident response plan measures, security awareness training, and more. These are security 101 best practices that need to be in place in today’s cybersecurity world. Here’s a list of policies, procedures, and other initiatives mandated by Requirement 12 of the PCI DSS standards:

Annual Risk Assessment Process
Usage Policies and Procedures
Information Security Responsibility Policy and Procedures
Formal Security Awareness Program
Management of Service Providers Policy and Procedures
Incident Response Plan

Documentation is king when it comes to PCI DSS compliance, as you can easily see the volume of policies and procedures needed and it’s why pcipolicyportal.com was founded – to provide the very best PCI policies and procedures to businesses all throughout the globe.

Additionally, take note of the following items regarding PCI compliance & certification for data centers and managed service providers, courtesy of pcipolicyportal.com:

Provisioning and Hardening: Requirement 2 of the PCI DSS standards places a major emphasis on securing system components by removing default settings, along with unnecessary and insecure services. The goal is to harden systems as much as possible, leaving no window for access to any unauthorized parties. It means that data centers and managed service providers need to develop documented provisioning and hardening forms and checklists for the following:

Network devices (firewalls, routers, switches, load balancers, etc.)
Servers – both physical and/or logical – and the underlying operating system and applications residing on such servers. This would include all production servers, web servers, DNS – any type of server deemed in-scope for the actual cardholder data environment.

Saying a system is hardened is one thing, proving it by having in place best practice configuration standards – those that are actually used – is another. Don’t forget that auditors will often inspect system settings to ensure such hardening procedures have been put in place.

Policies and Procedures: Data centers – along with many other types of businesses – are often very surprised at the amount of documentation necessary for becoming compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). From Requirement 1 all the way through Requirement 12, there’s dozens of mandates for information security and operational specific policies, procedures, forms, checklists, and other supporting documentation. While many of today’s present – and emerging – regulatory compliance mandates are seen as very technical – and they can be – don’t lose sight of the importance of documentation. Policies and procedures are so incredibly important – yet they’re also very time-consuming in terms of development – so turn to the PCI DSS experts today at pcipolicyportal.com for the very best documentation found anywhere today.

Customer Requirements: PCI DSS compliance is not 100% on your shoulders, your client’s are also responsible for a possible large number of the actual “Requirements”, so keep this in mind. Furthermore, don’t let your customers pass the buck on to you – which is common – when it comes to THEIR PCI DSS compliance reporting mandates. The proverbial “oh, my data center is PCI compliant, so I don’t need to be” phrase it completely false, but it’s used quite often. Your customers that use your services – from traditional rack and co-location spaces to managed services – must each to through their OWN PCI DSS certification annually – no exceptions. Sure, they can leverage YOUR PCI compliance reporting, for purposes of Requirement 9, at a minimum, but they must still produce their own annual compliance report.

Security Awareness Training: What’s fundamentally important when it comes to securing one’s information security landscape – and particularly, the cardholder data environment – is having knowledgeable and disciplined employees in place, those that can identify and react to security issues. The very best way of training employees in regards to emerging security threats, issues, and challenges is comprehensive security awareness training. We’re not talking about a boiler point PowerPoint template, we’re talking about detailed training for your employees, educational material that’s specific to your environment.

Compliance is a Moving Target: Regulatory compliance is never a one-time activity – not at all – it requires constant commitment and dedication for ensuring all mandated policies, procedures, and applicable processes are in place. It can be a challenge – no question about it – but its’ why you’ll need to appoint an individual the mandate of ensuring compliance is upheld.

Talk to the Experts today at pcipolicyportal.com
Looking for the very best solutions and services when it comes to Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) compliance, then turn to the experts at pcipolicyportal.com, the global leader in PCI DSS policy compliance. We also offer the very best documents when it comes to risk assessments, security awareness training, along with expert consulting services. Contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com or call us at 424-274-1952.

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