PCI Compliance & Certification for Small Businesses – Overview
PCI Compliance & Certification for Small Businesses Overview
PCI compliance & certification for small businesses – specifically, small merchants and service providers – can be an incredibly time-consuming and taxing proposition as many businesses simply don’t have the operational and financial resources. The key is understanding exactly what the PCI DSS requirements are, what’s important from a scope and risk assessment perspective, and how do businesses go about becoming certified. From policies and procedures to security awareness training requirements, PCI compliance & certification for small businesses does require documentation and other supporting materials, which we provide for instant download today at pcipolicyportal.com. Our industry leading PCI policy packets and compliance toolkits are simply the most sought after documentation available for helping small businesses become compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) requirements.
Our Toolkits save Small Businesses Thousands of Dollars on PCI Compliance
Forget about the high-priced consultants and costly fees for software tools and applications, simply download our industry leading PCI policy packet and compliance toolkits and you’ll be on your way in no time to complying with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS).What’s included in our award-winning PCI toolkits – essentially everything a small business needs for becoming PCI DSS compliant. That’s right, from essential policies and procedures to critical risk assessment documentation, security awareness training materials, third-party monitoring documents, and more, it’s all available for instant download today at pcipolicyportal.com.
Our toolkits will save you literally hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars on PCI DSS compliance, no question about it. Additionally, the PCI compliance toolkits are always updated to reflect changes and enhancements made to the actual PCI DSS standards, which has been occurring rather quickly as of late. Best of all, the documentation received has been professionally researched and developed by one of North America’s longest licensed Payment Card Industry Qualified Security Assessors (PCI-QSA). Visit pcipolicyportal.com today and see how we’re helping small business succeed in the world of PCI compliance.
Merchant vs. Service Provider Debate for Small Businesses
Are you a merchant or a service provider? This is something you’ll need to define very quickly as there are different reporting requirements for merchants vs. service providers. Additionally, while merchants have the ability to utilize a large number of Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQ), service provider don’t have that luxury. Moreover, merchants need to really spend time in assessing which of the SAQ’s to use, as there are now more SAQ’s than ever before. Thus, depending on which of the SAQ documents you to choose to complete, your annual PCI DSS compliance mandates can consist of a rather small footprint – such as SAQ A – to a rather large footprint, such as SAQ D. Whichever of the SAQ documents you choose to use, policies, procedures, and processes – call it the three (3) P’s – have to be in place. It’s why pcipolicyportal.com was developed; for providing small businesses all throughout the world the very best PCI DSS compliance policy templates found anywhere today.
SAQ vs RoC for Small Business PCI Compliance?
While the vast majority of merchants and service providers can assess with the numerous Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQ) – probably up to 99% of merchants – there are still instances where both merchants and service providers have to perform an actual Level 1 onsite assessment by a PCI-QSA. Hopefully, you can stay away from the dreaded Level 1 onsite assessments, but if not, you’ll need to find a proven, high-quality PCI-QSA. Word to the wise – there are a number of Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQ) to choose from – especially if you are a merchant – and many merchants will thus need assistance and guidance in determining which SAQ to use.
The SAQ’s, though they stand for “Self-Assessment Questionnaire”, is somewhat misleading, because many of the respective SAQ’s are actually quite detailed and complex, ultimately requiring assistance from an expert, such as a PCI-QSA. The much-dreaded SAQ D is incredibly long and complex, often confusing businesses on how to actually complete the document. Please visit pcipolicyportal.com to learn more about all the products, services, and solutions we offer.
What you’ll want to do is visit pcisecuritystandards.org and download the applicable Self-Assessment Questionnaire for your business. Again, keep in mind that there are numerous SAQ’s, so choosing the right one is important. If you cannot seem to find the right SAQ, then you’ll need to default to SAQ D, which is the longest of all the SAQ’s. How do you know which SAQ is right for you; at the beginning of each SAQ is a list of bullet points asking you a series of questions, thus if you can readily agree to the criteria, then you’re good to go in using that actual SAQ. We provide assistance with completing the SAQ documents, to contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com to and ask about our services and solutions.
Why a PCI Readiness Assessment is Essential
It’s best to perform an actual PCI DSS readiness assessment with a PCI expert for helping better assess and understand the environment in question. From missing policies to critical scope considerations, a readiness assessment – when properly performed – is absolutely invaluable for long-term PCI DSS success. We provide such assessments for a fixed-fee, so contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com to learn more or call us at 424-274-1952. A PCI DSS readiness assessment is absolutely critical – particularly for small businesses new to the PCI DSS standards – as it helps ensure your long-term PCI goals and overall success. A highly reputable organization – such as Materdei Consulting, LLC – can provide PCI DSS readiness assessments that are brief, cost-effective, and highly invaluable.
Expect to Perform PCI Remediation
Hey, nobody’s perfect in life in anything we do, that we can all admit. The same goes for compliance regarding the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) mandates for small businesses. Specifically, every merchant and service provider will have some degree of remediation that needs to be undertaken, from developing policies and procedures to making necessary security implementation changes. The key to successful remediation is having documentation to work with, such as the PCI Policy Packets we offer for instant download today at pcipolicyportal.com. Remediation just became that much easier, thanks to the global experts who’ve been helping businesses with PCI compliance since 2009 – and that’s pcipolicyportal.com.
PCI Policies and Procedures are Critical for Compliance
Ask any small business owner that’s been through the rigorous PCI DSS compliance mandates what’s the most time-consuming and taxing process, and they’ll almost always tell you it’s developing the policies and procedures. Mundane, taxing and not too terribly invigorating, policy writing can be a real drain, and it’s why small businesses turn to us for authoring all the necessary PCI DSS specific policies, procedures, and processes.
You can also save a tremendous amount of money by customizing the templates yourself, because the documentation is that good. Browse our extensive list of policy packet toolkits today at pcipolicyportal.com. When it comes to saving hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars on PCI DSS compliance, leave the PCI policy writing to the experts at Materdei Consulting, LLC. Visit pcipolicyportal.com to learn more, or call us today at 424-274-1952.
Small Businesses will have to Perform Vulnerability Scans
Vulnerability Scanning: Depending on which of the Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQ) you need to comply with, vulnerability scanning – both internal and external – will most likely be a requirement. If so, don’t look at a short-term solution – rather – source a scanning vendor you can use for the long-term as vulnerability scans are required quarterly, but as a best practice, should be performed regularly (such as monthly). There are a number of reputable vendors offering such services, so simply look at qualys.com or even search for other providers. Try netboundary.com, as they also offer cost-effective scanning services at reasonable prices. Just because you’re a small businesses, it doesn’t ultimately mean you can escape the mandate for vulnerability scanning.
Small Businesses “Might” have to Perform Penetration Tests
Penetration Testing: Performing an annual penetration test is a really good idea in terms of information security and cybersecurity best practices, and it’s also a mandate for PCI DSS compliance. They “can” be expensive and time-consuming, all the more reason to find and work with a proven organization – such as Materdei Consulting, LLC- who can provide a list of resources for performing such a test. Additionally, the PCI mandates – particularly version 3.2 and subsequent directives – are mandating that penetration tests be performed more frequently now, as the once a year test is seen as inadequate.
While not all merchants and service providers have to perform an annual penetration test, it’s a best practice that should be considered, no question about it, as growing cybersecurity threats are penetrating networks more and more. The thought of a data security breach that results in the leakage of customer data is an absolute nightmare, and it’s why more companies are testing their networks to determine how secure they truly are. And because penetration tests often simulate real-world attacks, you’ll get a very good idea on how secure your network actually is.
PCI Compliance for Small Businesses begins with our PCI Policy Toolkits
When it comes to PCI DSS compliance for small businesses, look to the experts at pcipolicyportal.com, providers of industry leading PCI policies and procedures and other compliance toolkits for merchants and service providers. From New York to LA, pcipolicyportal.com has been offering high-quality, cost-effective services and solutions for small businesses, so contact us today at 424-274-1952 to learn more. Small businesses are the heart of the U.S. economy, which means ensuring the safety and security of cardholder data is now more important than ever. Lastly, if you’re in need of a Payment Card Industry Qualified Security Assessor (PCI-QSA), then contact PCI-QSA Charles Denyer at cdenyer@ndbcpa.com today.
Final Words of Wisdom for PCI Compliance for Small Businesses
PCI compliance & certification for small businesses doesn’t have to be an expensive and laborious proposition – not at all – especially if you take the time to truly understand the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) mandates. Each of the PCI DSS Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQ) have their own nuances, to be sure, but documentation is still the biggest and largest mandate for any of the SAQ’s. This ultimately means sourcing the very best, high-quality PCI DSS policies and procedures – and other essential documents – for allowing rapid and complete compliance with the PCI mandates.
Even SAQ A and SAQ B, the much shorter and more condensed PCI DSS SAQ reporting forms, contain requirements for policies and procedures – there’s just not getting around it. Do what small businesses all throughout the country – and the globe – have been doing for years and that’s relying on the PCI Policy Toolkits from pcipolicyportal.com. Since 2009, we’ve been the industry leader when it comes to PCI documentation, so visit pcipolicyportal.com to learn more. And lastly, many of the payment processors provide online reporting portals allowing you to validate and report on PCI compliance each year, so make sure to use the helpful websites.
