Payment Security & PCI DSS
Protecting cardholder data and achieving compliance
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0 / 5 completed🔒 The $9 Billion Problem
Payment card fraud costs the industry $32 billion annually. Data breaches expose millions of card numbers. PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) is the comprehensive security framework that protects cardholder data. Created by Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, and JCB in 2006, PCI DSS mandates 12 requirements covering network security, data protection, access control, and monitoring. Compliance isn't optional—merchants face fines up to $100K/month and lose card processing privileges if breached.
⚠️ Why PCI Compliance Matters
Every business that accepts, stores, or transmits card data must comply with PCI DSS. Non-compliance leads to devastating consequences: $5-90K monthly fines, liability for fraud losses, damage to reputation, and potential criminal charges. The Target breach (2013) exposed 40M cards and cost $200M+. Home Depot (2014): 56M cards compromised. Modern security isn't just best practice—it's business survival.
Requirements
Core security controls all merchants must implement
Merchant Tiers
Based on annual transaction volume
Max Monthly Fine
Penalty for non-compliance after breach
Assessment
Required compliance validation frequency
🎯 Scope of PCI DSS
Cardholder Data (CHD)
Primary Account Number (PAN), cardholder name, expiration, service code
Sensitive Authentication Data (SAD)
CVV/CVC codes, PIN numbers, full magnetic stripe data—NEVER store these
Cardholder Data Environment (CDE)
All systems that store, process, or transmit cardholder data or SAD