PCI DSS Software Guidelines

It’s been a little while since we’ve discussed PCI Compliance. There is constant innovation within the payment card industry. Due to the advancements in technology and more sophisticated threats to security, the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) is constantly developing new guidelines to keep payment transactions and data secure. Earlier this year, the PCI SSC released new, requirements called the PCI Secure Software Standard to address software applications that handle payments. These new standards will replace the Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS) when it is retired in 2022.

As the announcement states, the PCI SSC is expanding its focus far beyond the current PA-DSS. According to the Council, this is necessary to ensure payments remain resilient to sensitive data compromises .

The PCI Secure Software Standard

 There are two main aspects to these new guidelines:

• PCI Secure Lifecycle Standard: An outline of qualifications and validation processes for vendors to verify and maintain payment software throughout the life of the software.
• PCI Secure Software Standard: An outline of qualifications and validation processes to ensure the confidentiality and protection of payment data and transactions.

This two-pronged approach to software security is designed to ensure payments are secure from initial development to ongoing use within the software application.

What It Means for Software Providers

With these new regulations comes plenty of questions from software providers. Not to worry, Paragon Payment Solutions is here to help you! The PCI SSC created these rules with input and assistance from developers, assessors, and industry organizations. With this in mind, the transition should be smooth and software providers will be able to adapt to these new guidelines with ease.  We know the 2009 PA-DSS deadline was stressful for both software providers and merchants!

User Assurance

The core beneficiaries of stricter requirements are, of course, consumers. Merchants that use their software to process payments must be confident that their customers sensitive information is safe during each transaction. The main goal of the PCI SSC is to assure software users that the software is PCI compliant and consistently maintained for any security vulnerabilities.  This will also help merchants achieve and maintain their own PCI compliance.

The Bottom Line

Complying with new standards can be an uphill struggle for software providers. Rest assured, Paragon Payment Solutions is here to guide you along the way.

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