Using Credit Card Plugins and Protecting Customer Data

First of all, it is necessary to understand the importance of Payment Card Industry non compliance and its consequences. If any organization fails to protect a customer’s credit card data, chances are that the organization will have to face some serious consequences. An organization failing to do so may have to pay hefty fines from payment processors as well as the Government. It is also possible that the organization may lose the ability to accept credit cards in the future. Moreover, the organization may also have to face angry customers wanting to know about the various fraudulent charges on their credit cards. Thus, Payment Card Industry compliance issues should be taken seriously.

Most of the issues related to credit data of customers arise within small organization. The reason being simple, negligence small organizations usually have the tendency to think that they would not be bothered by credit card data thefts. Hence, they take the whole matter lightly and end up being on the wrong side of the fence. It is an interesting fact that more than half of credit card data thefts have occurred in small organizations over the past few years.

With the increasing usage of mobile payments, it is important that every business understands and maintains Payment Card Industry compliance. Most of the credit card data thefts take place because of the hardware attachments or software on your smart phone. But, there are easy ways to stop this and get some relief.

Ways to Protect Customers’ Credit Card Data

1. Separate online card processing

A business organization should have a separate structure for online card processing from the business’s main network. It should be with a dedicated computer, smart phone etc. with its own internet connection. Doing this usually reduces the chances of any infections from malware, spyware etc.

2. Limited control

Access to credit card data should be given only to those employees who regularly deal with the processing of credit cards. Data access and monitoring should always be limited to certain people in an organization. This protects the information from going in the wrong hands.

3. Monitoring the account

An account should be monitored regularly. It is actually best if it is monitored on a daily basis. This makes it easier for you to spot any kind of breach or theft. You should also be proactive and already have a plan in place if something of this sort happens. Put the plan into action if you notice any kind of breach or theft of customers’ credit card data. Implementing a good plan may help you to validate the mentioned compliance measures. Doing this could help reduce your responsibility for fraud.

4. Secure the device

This may be the most important thing to keep in mind. First of all, the device should be secured physically. It should not be accessible to everyone. Only people processing credit cards should be able to access it. In order to protect Credit data, the device should also be regularly updated with network security applications. Your device is like a cash register which you do not want to lose.

About the Author: Sachin is a free lance writer who writes on different topics such as technology, business, finance, gadgets. He holds bachelor’s degree in electronics. He has published more than 500 articles about various topics, including computer support and Windows terminal emulator. His famous articles includes article on Credit data.