PCI Compliance: The Definitive Guide

Description

Although organizations that store, process, or transmit cardholder information are required to comply with payment card industry standards, most find it extremely challenging to comply with and meet the requirements of these technically rigorous standards. PCI Compliance: The Definitive Guide explains the ins and outs of the payment card industry (PCI) security standards in a manner that is easy to understand. This step-by-step guidebook delves into PCI standards from an implementation standpoint. It begins with a basic introduction to PCI compliance, including its history and evolution. It then thoroughly and methodically examines the specific requirements of PCI compliance. PCI requirements are presented along with notes and assessment techniques for auditors and assessors. The text outlines application development and implementation strategies for Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS) implementation and validation. Explaining the PCI standards from an implementation standpoint, it clarifies the intent of the standards on key issues and challenges that entities must overcome in their quest to meet compliance requirements. The book goes beyond detailing the requirements of the PCI standards to delve into the multiple implementation strategies available for achieving PCI compliance. The book includes a special appendix on the recently released PCI-DSS v 3.0. It also contains case studies from a variety of industries undergoing compliance, including banking, retail, outsourcing, software development, and processors. Outlining solutions extracted from successful real-world PCI implementations, the book ends with a discussion of PA-DSS standards and validation requirements. Review: Excellent Book! - This is an excellent source of material for those who wish to learn more about PCI DSS v3 compliance. What I found very useful was the perspective provided by the author from a QSA standpoint when looking at the 12 PCI requirements. The background information related to things which others may find obscure such as the magnetic coercivity of payment cards, the anatomy of card transactions, details on how track data is constructed are all valuable insights. Note that I purchased this book as a supplement to following the PCI SSC PCI Professional e-learning course and used it as a primer before sitting for the exam which I passed successfully. This isn't to say that the book provides the material specific to the PCIP exam, but I did use it to add some texture to the training materials provided by the PCIP course. All in all, a very good book for those looking to learn more about PCI compliance and how to go about achieving it.