We provide consulting services to comply with and audit the PCI DSS standard. PCI DSS, is jointly released by credit card companies aimed at protecting card holder data. The standard requires the members, merchants, and service providers using credit card facilities to carry out regular PCI Scans and PCI Security Audits after implementing the standard.

Requirements of the standard -The PCI DSS version 1.1 is comprised of six control objectives that contain one or more requirements. In all there are 12 specific requirements under these control objectives. The verification and reporting process may vary depending on the level of merchants and service providers. An organization is also expected to identify its category or type for identifying what requirements are applicable to it. In all there are 4 types: A, B, C, D for different organizations handling and managing or faclitating the credit card information processing. Each organization type is required to fill a self assessment questionnaire (SAQ) created for checking the compliance to requirements within its purview of operation, access, and management of credit card information.

NII helps organizations meet all the requirements with the help of its robust consulting methodology. The requirements with corresponding NII role is as follows:

• Build and Maintain a secure network: Installing, configuring, and providing guidance on maintaining firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, anti-virus and anti-spyware solutions. Reconfiguring default installations and customizing the setup. Conduct regular internal and external vulnerability assessments
• Protect Card Holder Data: Identifying the storage, transit channel, transit method, archival and retrieval of credit card data and securing the same. Identifying and implementing the appropriate controls at each data interface and data container
• Maintain a Vulnerability Management Program: Conduct regular vulnerability identification, assessment and reporting exercises with fix implementation
• Implement Strong Access Control Measures: Identify all logical and physical access points and ensure the access controls are present as per the requirement of the standard. Ensuring independent and reliable authentication and authorization schemes exist for access control
• Regularly Monitor and Test Networks: Devise processes to regularly maintain and track network and data access and report any incidents in due time via a risk management procedure
• Maintain an Information Security Policy: Draft and maintain a well-defined information security policy which addresses all the prerequisities of the standard.

Some of the benefits of obtaining PCI DSS are as follows:

• Provides guidance to organizations for protecting customer data
• Provides assurance to customers for the secure storage, transmission and use of their personal data
• Helps evade fines in case of a mishap
• Determine security posture and improvise
• Prioritzing investment in infrastructure