PCI compliance also applies to many of the third-party service providers you might be using.
Which ones? Basically any and all of those who store, process, transmit or otherwise “touch” the cardholder data belonging to your customers.
There’s the more obvious service providers, like the payment processors and gateway companies who make the hardware and software that directly interacts with customers’ cards.There are the credit card companies themselves, of course. And there are the banks on either end of the transaction, from the customer’s bank where the payment will be withdrawn, to your own bank who will be accepting the payment.
But what about the computing systems on which your business is running?
If you’re looking for help from a third party service provider to host and run those systems for you, their PCI compliance is every bit as critical as the compliance demonstrated by the payment processors and banks.
In the world of IT, we often call these kinds of vendors managed service providers (MSPs). The challenge is that not all MSPs are created equal, and certainly not from the standpoint of security that is so critical to PCI compliance.
With PCI standards and fines becoming more complex and enforcement on the rise, it’s more critical than ever to ensure that your MSP or IT vendor is truly on top of their PCI compliance game.
How can you tell if an MSP stacks up?
Merchants are ranked (according to transaction volume) on a scale of 1 to 4 with respect to PCI compliance, with 1 being the highest and 4 the lowest. Notably, ZZ Servers is one of a select few MSPs who can deliver the end-to-end PCI-enabled solutions necessary to meet stringent level 1 requirements.
ZZ Servers offerings are customized to the merchant’s precise PCI compliance needs and budgets, with both fully dedicated and semi-dedicated hosting solutions available. Both hosted offerings include the network infrastructure and controls required for PCI compliance at ideal price points.
And besides the hardware and software itself, ZZ Servers’ security specialists can conduct PCI training and testing, along with remediation recommendations and consultation.
PCI compliance is not something you want to leave to up to chance or inexperience. To see how ZZ Servers can give you real PCI peace of mind, contact us today.
