Beginning in 2017, all new Level 4 merchants were required to use only Payment Card Industry (PCI)-certified QIR solutions providers for POS application and terminal installation and integration. 

Here is the last in the series from the PCI Council's -  How to Protect Your Business With These Security Basics.

Security risks are everywhere these days - everyone up and down the chain is affected.  At Skurla's Point of Sale Solutions, we take security very seriously - and wanted to share some resources from the PCI Security Council.  

This month's topic:  Understanding Your Risk - Make Your Data Useless to Criminals

According to the Council:  

"The best way to keep it (your data) safe is to make it useless even if it’s stolen by hiding it, and removing it altogether when it’s not needed. While this can be more complex to put in place, in the long run, it can make security much easier to manage.  While protecting your customer's data can seem overwhelming, below are some basic recommendations that every business should follow."

Here is the next in the series from the PCI Council's -  How to Protect Your Business With These Security Basics.

Security risks are everywhere these days - everyone up and down the chain is affected.  At Skurla's Point of Sale Solutions, we take security very seriously - and wanted to share some resources from the PCI Security Council.  

This month's topic:  Understanding Your Risk - Protect Your Business from the Internet

Oh yes, the Internet - for business owners, it is often a double-edged sword.

According to the Council:

"The Internet is the main highway used by data thieves to attack and steal your
customers’ card data. For this reason, if your business is on the Internet, anything you use for card payments needs extra protection."

While protecting your customer's data can seem overwhelming, below are some basic recommendations that every business should follow.

Here is the next in the series from the PCI Council's -  How to Protect Your Business With These Security Basics.

Security risks are everywhere these days - everyone up and down the chain is affected.  At Skurla's Point of Sale Solutions, we take security very seriously - and wanted to share some resources from the PCI Security Council.  

This month's topic:  Understanding Your Risk - Use Secure Payment Terminals and Solutions

According to the Council:

"A sure way to better protect your business is to use secure payment solutions and trained professionals to help you."

"Your customers enter their personal identification numbers (PINs) for their payment cards into your payment terminal or PIN entry device. It is important to use secure devices to protect your customers’ PIN data."

Here is the next in the series from the PCI Council's -  How to Protect Your Business With These Security Basics.

Security risks are everywhere these days - everyone up and down the chain is affected.  At Skurla's Point of Sale Solutions, we take security very seriously - and wanted to share some resources from the PCI Security Council.  

This month's topic:  Understanding Your Risk - Scan for Vulnerabilities and Fix Issues

According to the Council:

"New vulnerabilities, security holes, and bugs are being discovered daily. It’s vital to have your Internet-facing systems tested regularly to identify these new risks and address them as soon
as possible. Your Internet facing systems (like many payment systems) are the most
vulnerable because they can be easily exploited by criminals, allowing them to sneak into
your systems."

And, if you are processing through one of our preferred processors, Skurla's will assist you with your scan.  It's easy and saves you money - because if you don't complete your scans, your Merchant Service Provider may start charging you non-compliance fees.

Here is the next in the series from the PCI Council's -  How to Protect Your Business With These Security Basics.

Security risks are everywhere these days - everyone up and down the chain is affected.  At Skurla's Point of Sale Solutions, we take security very seriously - and wanted to share some resources from the PCI Security Council.  

This month's topic:  Understanding Your Risk - Use Anti-Virus Software (also referred to as anti-malware)

Remember the quote from the PCI Council:  Hackers = Criminals

And to add on to this: 

Hackers write viruses and other malicious code to exploit software features and coding mistakes, so they can break into your systems and steal card data.

Here is the next in the series from the PCI Council's -  How to Protect Your Business With These Security Basics.

Security risks are everywhere these days - everyone up and down the chain is affected.  At Skurla's Point of Sale Solutions, we take security very seriously - and wanted to share some resources from the PCI Security Council.  

This month's topic:  Understanding Your Risk - Don’t Give Hackers Easy Access to Your Systems.

To quote the PCI Council:  Hackers = Criminals

(Click here to read about our Data Security Breach Action Plan)

"One of the easiest ways for hackers to get into your system is through people you trust. You need to know how your vendors are accessing your system to make sure it’s not opening up any holes for hackers. "

Here is the next in the series from the PCI Council's -  How to Protect Your Business With These Security Basics.

Security risks are everywhere these days - everyone up and down the chain is affected.  At Skurla's Point of Sale Solutions, we take security very seriously - and wanted to share some resources from the PCI Security Council.  

This month's topic:  Understanding Your Risk - Protect In-House Access to Your Card Data.

PRIVILEGE ABUSE IS THE TOP ACTION LEADING TO BREACHES – ABOUT 55% OF ALL INCIDENTS REPORTED.

Here is a list of recommendations from the Council:

ACCESS CONTROL IS ALL IMPORTANT. Set up your system to grant access only based on a “business need-to-know.” As the owner, you have access to everything. But most employees can do their job with access only to a subset of data, applications, and functions.

LIMIT ACCESS to payment systems and unencrypted card data to only those employees that need access, and only to the data, applications and functions they need to do their jobs.

KEEP A LOG. Track all “behind the counter” visitors in your establishment. Include name, reason for visit, and name of employee that authorized visitor’s access. Keep the log for at least a year.

SECURELY DISPOSE OF DEVICES. Ask your payment system vendor or service provider how to securely remove card data before selling or disposing of payment devices (so data cannot be recovered).

SHARE THIS INFORMATION. Give this guide to your employees and business partners so they know what is expected.