Tag Archives: security
Proper Data Security And Storage Methods (Page 1 of 2)
The PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) requires that any merchant who accepts, processes, stores, transmits sensitive credit card information must do everything possible to protect and guard that data. Proper data security and storage, however, can be a difficult thing to do in-house.
Data security and storage comprise a major portion of the PCI DSS and is also a necessary part of maintaining trust with your customers. In an age where personal information is a valuable commodity, customers need to know that their transactions are secure and you have a priority on guarding their personal data.
The third requirement of the PCI DSS states simply: “Protect stored cardholder data.” This may be a simple thing to say, but that doesn’t necessarily make it an easy thing to implement, nor does it downplay the importance. There are quite a few individual security controls that are required before you can say that you have created the proper data security and storage environment.
The first step is encryption. If you must store sensitive information on your own system you must encrypt it. This is a basic step because if a criminal intruder should happen to bypass all the other security measures that are in place, all they will find on your system are strings of random gibberish that are useless without the encryption key.
The next step is to limit the amount of cardholder data on your system. This includes only keeping the data that is absolutely necessary for legal, business, or regulatory purposes. When you don’t need it anymore, get rid of it. The less you have that is worth stealing, the less of a target you become. There are also a few things you’re not allowed to store at all. These include the full contents of any track from the magnetic stripe (like the card verification code or PIN verification value), or the three or four digit validation codes or personal identification numbers.
Of course, even if you’ve taken the steps to electronically protect data by encrypting it, there’s still the possibility that someone inside the company could steal or wrongfully employ the encryption keys. For that reason, the third requirement of the PCI DSS also mandates protecting those keys against misuse and disclosure.
Access to these keys must be restricted to the fewest number of people possible. These keys must also be stored in as few places as possible. Backups are, of course, necessary, but if you end up backing it up in too many places, you’re likely to forget where they all are, or accidentally place one where someone with criminal intentions can get a hold of it.
Requirement numbers seven, eight, and nine also deal with limiting physical access to cardholder data. These mandate that you restrict access to this data by to business need-to-know, and that you assign unique IDs to each person with computer access. These are measures that help ensure that you can trace the source of your problem, should a breach occur.
Proper Data Security And Storage Methods (Page 1 of 2)
The PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) requires that any merchant who accepts, processes, stores, transmits sensitive credit card information must do everything possible to protect and guard that data. Proper data security and storage, however, can be a difficult thing to do in-house.
Data security and storage comprise a major portion of the PCI DSS and is also a necessary part of maintaining trust with your customers. In an age where personal information is a valuable commodity, customers need to know that their transactions are secure and you have a priority on guarding their personal data.
The third requirement of the PCI DSS states simply: “Protect stored cardholder data.” This may be a simple thing to say, but that doesn’t necessarily make it an easy thing to implement, nor does it downplay the importance. There are quite a few individual security controls that are required before you can say that you have created the proper data security and storage environment.
The first step is encryption. If you must store sensitive information on your own system you must encrypt it. This is a basic step because if a criminal intruder should happen to bypass all the other security measures that are in place, all they will find on your system are strings of random gibberish that are useless without the encryption key.
The next step is to limit the amount of cardholder data on your system. This includes only keeping the data that is absolutely necessary for legal, business, or regulatory purposes. When you don’t need it anymore, get rid of it. The less you have that is worth stealing, the less of a target you become. There are also a few things you’re not allowed to store at all. These include the full contents of any track from the magnetic stripe (like the card verification code or PIN verification value), or the three or four digit validation codes or personal identification numbers.
Of course, even if you’ve taken the steps to electronically protect data by encrypting it, there’s still the possibility that someone inside the company could steal or wrongfully employ the encryption keys. For that reason, the third requirement of the PCI DSS also mandates protecting those keys against misuse and disclosure.
Access to these keys must be restricted to the fewest number of people possible. These keys must also be stored in as few places as possible. Backups are, of course, necessary, but if you end up backing it up in too many places, you’re likely to forget where they all are, or accidentally place one where someone with criminal intentions can get a hold of it.
Requirement numbers seven, eight, and nine also deal with limiting physical access to cardholder data. These mandate that you restrict access to this data by to business need-to-know, and that you assign unique IDs to each person with computer access. These are measures that help ensure that you can trace the source of your problem, should a breach occur.
A Simple and Secure Way to Protect Your Computers
In todays world of information technology, businesses have countless ways to communicate and collaborate; thereby creating a new global work environment that completely transcends the physical limitations of borders and distance.
But looking at the dark underside from this growing freedom is the unique openings it provides to cyber-criminals, who are constantly scheming methods and strategies to steal confidential data from individuals and organizations and a lot more.
The contemporary business network is a very different place from that of just a few years ago, and this is transforming how we approach network security. In the past, networks had clearly defined perimeters on which a protective shield could be built. Today, a typical network system may host multiple sub networks with laptop, smart phone and PDA users forming intersecting and constantly shifting perimeters.
The Business network that exists today is now a dynamic open space without rigid structures, which leads to a whole new set of security milestones.
Taking all this in to consideration, what we need is a Security Tool that is complete in nature and addresses all our issues without any further delay. Needless to say Kaspersky provides us with all the answers that we need.
Kasperskys approach is to trans-perimeter network security where protection extends beyond the workplace to reach remote users and an increasingly mobile workforce. Their main focus is to make sure that freedom and flexibility in corporate communications is fully compatible with airtight protection from contemporary security threats, such as viruses and other malicious programs, hacker attacks, spy ware and spam.
For this purpose, the company has launched a product known as Kaspersky Open Space Security.
World class products like Kaspersky has got lot better features than their nearest rivals and let us see some of them in a nutshell.
It provides for all kinds of solution to networks platforms and nodes.
They protect the system from all types of threat and attacks.
Rapid response strategy is put in place to attend any problem on a first cum first serve basis.
It has got in-built proactive technologies backed by traditional signature-based protection.
Kaspersky security software provides protection for laptops everywhere whether it is home, office or on the move
Complete Protection for returning and/or guest computers on a continuous basis.
The latest feature available in this software is a special tool called as root kit technology which protects your network from any kind of attack by cyber criminals.
Total protection against identity theft is provided.
Changes can be rolled back using Roll-Back technique against any duplicate or malicious software.
The system is completely protected from all kinds of mal ware.
The main advantage of using Kaspersky is that it is really simple to use and yet it is unique and efficient altogether. It provides all kind of things needed to run a cost effective administration. Administration can be completely centralized using Kaspersky. It is easily compatible with any third party solution and network resources can also be effectively used.