To Help Businesses Reduce Risks Around Data Protection And S

To Help Businesses Reduce Risks Around Data Protection And Security T

To help businesses reduce risks around data protection and security, the payments industry established the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (also known as PCI SSC or the PCI Council) and PCI DSS. Being PCI compliant when accepting credit cards on your web site is very important.1. Discuss TWO (2) PCI DSS compliances (must provide with APA citations/references) for a small business owners/designers, who wishes to conduct e-commerce business with other small businesses using the following: Paypal button Shopify 2. Discuss the difference between the two PCI data standards of SAQ A and SAQ A-EP. 3.

Review the document at DQ requirement: Note that the requirement is to post your initial response no later than Thursday 11:59 PM and you must post one additional post to at least one other student during the week (by Sunday 11:59PM). Your initial posting should be between 200-to-300 words. The replies to fellow students and to the professor should range between 100-to-150 words. All initial posts must contain a properly formatted in-text citation and scholarly reference.

Paper For Above instruction

Ensuring data protection and security in e-commerce has become increasingly critical as cyber threats continue to evolve. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) provides essential guidelines for small businesses to safeguard credit card information and maintain consumer trust. For small business owners utilizing platforms like PayPal buttons and Shopify, compliance with PCI DSS is vital to mitigate risks associated with cardholder data breaches.

One key PCI DSS compliance requirement is maintaining a secure network infrastructure. According to the PCI DSS, businesses must install and maintain firewalls to protect cardholder data (PCI Security Standards Council, 2023). Firewalls act as barriers against unauthorized access, preventing malicious actors from infiltrating sensitive systems. For instance, Shopify stores are responsible for securing their networks and should configure firewalls to limit access to critical data, especially when integrating PayPal payment options, which may involve third-party connections. Small businesses must also ensure that all system components are regularly updated with security patches. Immediate application of updates to operating systems and server software reduces vulnerabilities that could be exploited by cybercriminals (PCI Security Standards Council, 2023). These measures align with PCI DSS Requirement 1 and are fundamental for protecting customer payment information during online transactions.

Another essential compliance is implementing strong access control measures. PCI DSS mandates restricting access to cardholder data based on necessity, using unique IDs and secure authentication methods (Puccio & Peretti, 2017). Small businesses must enforce strong password policies and multi-factor authentication, especially when handling e-commerce transactions through platforms like Shopify, which store customer data and payment details. Limiting access reduces the risk of insider threats and external breaches. Moreover, regular monitoring and testing of the security systems are crucial to identify vulnerabilities proactively. Conducting vulnerability scans and penetration testing ensure that the infrastructure remains secure against evolving threats (PCI Security Standards Council, 2023). This compliance safeguards sensitive payment information processed via PayPal buttons and Shopify, fostering consumer confidence and regulatory adherence.

The two PCI data standards—SAQ A and SAQ A-EP—are designed for merchants subjected to different levels of PCI DSS requirements based on their payment processing methods. SAQ A is intended for e-commerce merchants who entirely outsource credit card processing to third-party and do not store, process, or transmit cardholder data on their systems. Conversely, SAQ A-EP applies to merchants who outsource payment processing but have e-commerce websites which could impact the security of the payment environment, requiring more rigorous compliance measures (PCI Security Standards Council, 2023). Essentially, SAQ A is less comprehensive, focusing on third-party handling, whereas SAQ A-EP addresses merchants with a broader scope of online payment integration, necessitating additional security controls.

References

  • PCI Security Standards Council. (2023). PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org
  • Puccio, P., & Peretti, R. (2017). Cybersecurity for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. Cybersecurity Journal, 5(2), 134-150.
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  • Raghavan, S. (2018). The Role of Firewalls in Network Security. Journal of Information Security, 9(4), 235-245.
  • Stallings, W. (2017). Effective Security in E-commerce Platforms. Computer Security Journal, 33(1), 52-65.
  • Jones, A. (2019). Managing Access Controls in Online Business. Security Management, 63(4), 14-19.
  • Shackleford, G. (2019). Understanding PCI Compliance Levels. Security Weekly, 242, 57-62.
  • Kim, D., & Solomon, M. (2019). Fundamentals of Information Security. Wiley.
  • Beekel, T. (2021). Implementing Multi-Factor Authentication in E-commerce. Cybersecurity Review, 8(2), 77-86.
  • Gordon, L. A., & Loeb, M. P. (2016). Managing Cybersecurity Risk in Small Business. Harvard Business Review, 4, 112-119.