Wifi in a PCI world

Abstract

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) was first launched in 2004 to help retailers combat card fraud. Developed by the five major credit card companies (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and JCB), the standard is a global set of security obligations that companies handling cardholder information for the major credit, debit, prepaid, ATM, POS and e-purse cards must meet. The PCI DSS applies to all businesses that store, process or transmit cardholder data, including merchants and service providers. Wifi networks offer many benefits, particularly in retail environments, but they are difficult to secure to the levels demanded by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Although a number of security protocols have been introduced, these have been found to contain exploitable flaws. Where security is important, however – and it certainly is for those organisations striving to be PCI DSS compliant – a Central Management System (CMS) offers a lot of advantages, giving visibility across the entire network and allowing wifi networks to be created easily and securely. Murray Knox of Mako Networks explains the dangers posed by wifi and how to address them.