PCI DSS - Payment Card Security

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is explained in this article, including who must comply, the merchant responsibilities, and the employee responsibilities.

Summary

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is explained in this article, including who must comply, the merchant responsibilities, and the employee responsibilities.

Content

The information provided on this page is an overview only. For detailed guidance based on your department’s payment business process, please email the USNH PCI DSS Steering Committee at unh.pcisc@unh.edu or through the contact information listed on the USNH PCI-DSS website. The UNH PCI DSS Steering Committee was established to assist merchants in achieving PCI DSS compliance and reporting compliance status to University governance.

 

What Is PCI DSS?

• PCI DSS stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard.
• The standard is a set of requirements which ensure technical and procedural security in accepting, transmitting and storing payment Card Holder Data (CHD).
• Payment cards include credit, debit, gift, prepaid, etc. For purposes of complying to the standard, payment cards do not include USNH P-cards or Cat's Cache.
• The standard is issued and maintained by the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) and applies to all entities involved in payment card processing -- including merchants, processors, acquirers, issuers, and service providers, as well as all other entities that store, process or transmit CHD. Complete PCI DSS information can be found at the PCI Security Standards Council website.
• USNH has contracted with CampusGuard, a Qualified Security Assessor, to assist UNH in achieving compliance to the standard.

 

Who must comply with PCI DSS?

Compliance with the standard is required by the USNH contract with the merchant bank, Wells Fargo, and applies to all USNH institutions. University of New Hampshire departments and employees who offer University services or products for sale and take payment cards as one form of payment, must comply with the requirements of PCI DSS. University sellers are termed 'merchants' and include in-person, remote and on-line sales. Compliance to the PCI DSS helps University merchants protect their customers as well as the University itself.

 

Merchant Responsibilities

• Follow the USNH policy to become an approved merchant
• Be familiar with the USNH Payment Card Data Security policies and procedures, which should be reviewed at least annually
• Designate a merchant department responsible person (MDRP) to oversee CHD transactions and personnel
• Document a departmental PCI DSS policy (models are available) to include at a minimum:
  • CHD handling and security
  • Employee authorization
  • Media control (including electronics)
  • Incident response
  • Lapse tracking
• Provide and document employee PCI DSS training annually
  • Ensure employee's transacting CHD have had a background check
• Provide dedicated equipment or applications for processing of CHD
  • Fixed or mobile devices incorporating card-swipe or keypad entry which are approved by the PCI SSC
  • Online payment webpages hosted by a PCI DSS compliant service provider
• Complete a Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) annually to attest PCI DSS compliance

Employee Responsibilities

• Only authorized and trained University employees may accept and handle CHD
• Authorized employees must have a background check and be trained on the department’s PCI DSS policy
• Authorized employees must not copy CHD, except as may be defined by policy and must not leave CHD where non-authorized employees or other persons could view or access the information
• Non-authorized employees must refuse to accept CHD and instead direct a customer to an authorized employee, a payment application or a payment website

 

Further Readings

USNH Payment Card Data Security - Policies and Procedures 

USNH Payment Card Industry - Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) 

PCI Security Standards Council 

CampusGuard

 

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