PCI Compliance Scanning & SAQ
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PCI DSS Compliance for Small Businesses
Every company that sells goods or services on the internet must be PCI DSS compliant. The acronym stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. What is it? In short, these standards were designed to protect consumers from internet thieves who steal credit card information from unprotected websites. PCI Data Security Standard must be abided by or heavy fines may be assessed.
In this article we will discuss the PCI DSS requirements for small businesses. Though the standards are not quite as rigorous for them, it is every bit as important that they maintain compliance. After all, a small company is subject to the same fines as a large one if they fail to meet the requirements.
The first thing a small business owner must do to satisfy PCI standards is to identify the Self Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) that is appropriate for his business. The SAQ is a simple validation tool which when properly used will ensure PCI compliance.
Next, the company website must pass a PCI SSC vulnerability scan that is administered by an Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV). However, the scan is not required for all merchants. Only companies that have external facing IP addresses must complete one. This means that if your servers store any kind of cardholder information and are connected to the internet, you must submit to a quarterly scan or your business will be deemed non-compliant.
Lastly, you must complete a short Attestation of Compliance that is included with the SAQ. Now it is time to submit the information to your bank or merchant service provider. Make certain that you have included the SAQ, evidence that your website passed the scan (if required), and the Attestation of Compliance, as well as any other requested documentation. As a small business, you should expect to repeat this process at least once a year.