SMB IT | Curtis Franklin » Private Rules for Private Data

August 16, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Private Rules for Private Data

TAGS: SMB business

Turns out the government isn't the only force trying to regulate the retention of consumer data. There's some private concerns weighing in as well.

Chief among these is Visa, a company that's probably tired of the threat of lawsuits from irate credit card holders who suddenly find they owe some department store in a different state $30K for a 52-inch platinum HD TV.

So Visa has published some guidelines, called the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (or PCI for short). Even more impressive, they've attached a penalty for those Visa merchants that don't comply -- up to $500K depending on who you are and what you're selling. Unfortunately, even with this butt-paddling in the background, it's estimated that only 25% of Visa merchants are at present compliant--this a year after PCI was introduced.

Fortunately, Visa isn't dismissing the measure. They're just being methodical in tracking down violators. So if your SMB is everywhere it wants to be, but hasn't yet thought about PCI, be aware they'll get you sooner or later. So you might as well consider the measure, especially since it isn't that difficult to comply.

And to help with that, the folks at StillSecure and Coalfire have put together this white paper. It touts how their products put you 90% of the way there to PCI compliance, but it also breaks down the 12 basic things you need to consider, so it's worth a read in any case.

Posted by Oliver Rist on August 16, 2006 10:44 AM

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