'Net Features : pci

Guidelines for Secure Payments

Pete Prestipino — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:35:00 GMT

The PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) has released new guidelines to help e-commerce merchants keep their customers' data safe.

The digital security landscape is a complicated one where the roles, risks and responsibilities of involved parties can quickly become muddled. That confusion of course, can lead to stagnation when it comes to finding (and implementing) fixes - on both an individual site and industry level.

“Take SQL injections as an example. This is not a new attack, and something we’ve known about in the industry for years. Yet it continues to be one of the most common methods by which e-commerce websites are compromised, said Bob Russo, general manager, PCI Security Standards Council.

Over 60 organizations representing banks, merchants, security assessors and technology vendors collaborated to produce guidance that will help organizations better understand their responsibilities when it comes to PCI DSS; the risks they need to evaluate when considering ecommerce solutions; and how to determine their PCI DSS scope.

The guide, which comes at a time when ecommerce fraud is rising, includes an overview of ecommerce and PCI DSS. and outlines common vulnerabilities in ecommerce that merchants should consider when developing or choosing ecommerce software and services.

The guidelines also include best practice recommendations on securing ecommerce environments and a checklist of responsibilities that outlines, when payments are outsourced, which elements of security the merchant and the payments company are responsible for.

“This can be addressed through simple, prudent coding practices, but merchants often don’t know where to start. These guidelines will help them better understand their responsibilities and the kinds of questions they need to ask of their service providers. In the case of SQL injections, one of the most important items to request of an e-commerce service provider is a description of the security controls and methods it has in place to protect websites against these vulnerabilities.”

Validate PCI Compliance with New Guided SAQ Wizard

Allison Howen — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 09:10:00 GMT

Payment processing solution provider Payment Alliance International (PAI) has partnered with Qualified Security Assessor Panoptic Security to provide PAI merchants with access to an online PCI compliance portal.

The partnership integrates Panoptic’s ExpertPCI solution into the PAI Secure program, which is a PCI compliance and indemnification program. The integration allows merchants to complete their PCI industry-mandated Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQs) and Network IP Scans online by using a guided step-by-step SAQ wizard.

“We are very excited about our partnership with Panoptic Security to deliver an even more efficient way for our merchants to become PCI compliant. We understand just how critical PCI compliance is in protecting their customers’ card information,” says John J. Leehy, III, president and chief executive officer of Payment Alliance International. “By integrating ExpertPCI into our PAI Secure program, we can offer a truly turnkey package for our merchant customers that includes education on the PCI DSS and how to become compliant, online PCI compliance validation, as well as a level of financial protection from losses that may occur in the event of a security breach.”

This partnership and new enhancements to the PAI Secure program will enable enrolled PAI merchants to more securely and efficiently validate their PCI compliance. For the third consecutive year Panoptic Security’s ExpertPCI received a Global Excellence Award from Info Security Products Guide for the best PCI solution. The solution delivers higher compliance rates than industry averages by simplifying the process, shortening the time for merchants to complete the SAQ and guiding them through the process.

“Our solution is second to none in the industry in driving PCI compliance, and we look forward to bringing these benefits to PAI’s customers,” says Matthew Hoffman, Panoptic Security’s chief executive officer.

Encore, ControlScan Protect Data

MaureenA — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:45:00 GMT

Encore Payment Systems has partnered with ControlScan to ensure merchants are meeting the new PCI Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). The standards, established by the PCI Security Standards Council, must be met by all organizations that deal with cardholder information and was established to protect sensitive data. The partnership will provide training and certification for merchants using the Encore platform.

Jethro Felton, executive vice president of sales and business development, ControlScan, sees the partnership as a huge plus for Encore and its merchants. "By utilizing ControlScan's PCI compliance solutions as part of their overall offering, Encore Payments will help their merchant community become secure, thereby ensuring that they meet all private and public regulatory requirements by protecting all cardholder data," Felton was quoted in the release.

In October, Website Magazine reported that each lead generated to Encore provides a $20 commission, and utilizes credit/debit processing. So, protecting all data is a good idea.

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