What You Need To Know About Four Levels of PCI Compliance?
PCI Compliance is essential for businesses of all sizes that store, process or transmit credit card data. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) set by the PCI Security Standards Council are designed to help ensure the security of sensitive payment information. The standards also provide a framework for organizations to become compliant and maintain their compliance over time.
Businesses that accept, store or process credit card information must adhere to the standards set by the PCI Security Standards Council. These standards are organized into four levels of pci compliance: Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4. Each level is based on the number of transactions processed annually as well as other factors such as the complexity of the organization and its data security environment.
Level 1 Compliance is required for organizations that process more than 6 million transactions annually, or those that have experienced a data breach involving credit card information in the last 12 months. Level 1 compliance requires a detailed assessment of an organization’s systems, processes and procedures that handle payment card information. The assessment is conducted by an authorized QSA (Qualified Security Assessor).
Level 2 Compliance applies to organizations that process between 1 million and 6 million transactions annually. These businesses are required to comply with the PCI DSS requirements, as well as complete a self-assessment questionnaire (SAQ) and assess their security systems on an annual basis.
Level 3 Compliance applies to organizations that process between 20,000 and 1 million transactions annually, or those that store and transmit more than 300,000 credit card numbers. These organizations are required to complete an SAQ as well as a quarterly network scan by an authorized third-party vendor.
Level 4 Compliance applies to organizations that process up to 20,000 transactions annually. These organizations must complete an SAQ and review their payment applications for any vulnerabilities every six months.
Regardless of the level of compliance required for your organization, it is important to understand the PCI Compliance requirements in order to ensure the safety of customer data and maintain a secure environment. By adhering to the standards set by the PCI Security Standards Council, organizations can protect their customers and minimize the risk of a data breach.
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