Types of Exercising Our previous blog about how to deliver a business continuity exercise prompted a number of questions about the types of business continuity exercise and when to use them. So, this week’s blog does just that! Without exercising (we prefer this to testing which implies a pass or fail), an organisation […]
Policies, Procedures and Evidence While it’s one of the areas that IT and security departments find challenging, documentation (and compliant evidence) is what makes for a happy and satisfied PCI Qualified Security Assessor (QSA), and, more importantly, a successful PCI compliance audit! Successful compliance programmes invariably depend on the accurate and consistent recording of events and the […]
This week’s top tip focuses on data protection and the value of the information you can find on the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) website. There is a wealth of information available on the ICO’s website, however, probably one of the most visited areas is ‘Action We’ve Taken’. In particular, the enforcement notices, audits, advisory […]
In our past blogs, we focused on where to seek information and highlights a recently released report which contains useful and valuable information. We also mentioned about the Horizon Scan Report (2019) by BCI Today we will give an overview of the 2019 Verizon Breach Report Where to start, 2019… another year and another Verizon […]
Have you Planned for the Unexpected? This week’s top tip reflects on the prevalent theme of ‘uncertainty’. Whether it be the general backdrop of political uncertainty that has dominated our lives since 23 June 2016, the vexing Tory leadership race as we await to see who will be our next Prime Minister or the […]
As a Payment Card Industry Qualified Security Assessor (PCI QSA) company, we are often asked by organisations which process card payments what are main pitfalls to avoid in complying with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Well, here’s our top five (5) pitfalls to avoid if your organisation is looking achieve or […]
Continuous Improvement, What next? This week’s top tip focuses on where to seek information and highlights a recently released report which contains useful and valuable information. A fundamental expectation of all ‘best practice’ ISO management systems is the requirement for a programme of continuous improvement. There is often a danger within all organisations that programmes […]
There’s no getting away from the fact that preparing for a PCI DSS ROC can be a bit of a trial, and particularly for those who are experiencing their first visit from a QSA. Like most trials, the good news is that future visits do get easier as your infrastructure gets up to spec. That […]
In our last blog we addressed merchants, so this time we turn to service providers. A service provider is defined as a ‘business entity that is not a payment brand, directly involved in the processing, storage, or transmission of cardholder data. This also includes companies that provide services that control or could impact the security […]
We are often asked, both by those new to PCI DSS and those who have been involved for a while, what is the difference between a merchant and a service provider, what are the ‘levels’ and what do they really mean? Are the levels based on individual transactions, overall value or by card brand? And […]