What It Is

PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) is a contractual security standard managed by the PCI Security Standards Council. It mandates technical and operational controls to protect cardholder data (CHD) and sensitive authentication data (SAD) for merchants and service providers handling payment cards. Its control-based approach focuses on the cardholder data environment (CDE) with prescriptive requirements.

Key Components

• 12 requirements grouped into 6 control objectives (e.g., secure networks, vulnerability management, access controls).
• Over 300 sub-requirements and testing procedures.
• Compliance validated via SAQs (Levels 2-4) or QSA-conducted ROCs (Level 1), plus quarterly ASV scans.

Why Organizations Use It

• Contractual obligation from card brands to avoid fines, processing bans, and breach costs (avg. $37/record).
• Reduces fraud risk, builds customer trust, and enables market access.
• Enhances overall cybersecurity hygiene applicable globally.

Implementation Overview

• Assess-Repair-Report cycle: scope CDE, gap analysis, remediate, validate.
• Applies to all card-handling entities; costs $5K-$200K+.
• v4.0 (mandatory post-2024) emphasizes MFA, segmentation, third-party oversight.

What It Is

The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) is the United Kingdom's post-Brexit adaptation of the EU GDPR, a binding legal regulation operating alongside the Data Protection Act 2018. It establishes a risk-based, accountability-driven framework to protect personal data of individuals in the UK, with extraterritorial reach to non-UK entities targeting UK residents.

Key Components

• Seven core principles: lawfulness/fairness/transparency, purpose limitation, data minimisation, accuracy, storage limitation, integrity/confidentiality, accountability.
• Individual rights (access, rectification, erasure, portability, objection).
• Controller/processor obligations, lawful bases, security, DPIAs, breach notifications.
• No formal certification; compliance via demonstrable records (e.g., RoPA) and ICO enforcement.

Why Organizations Use It

• Mandatory for processing UK personal data; avoids fines up to 4% global turnover.
• Enhances trust, reduces breach risks, supports efficient operations and cross-border business.

Implementation Overview

Phased approach: governance setup, data mapping (RoPA), policies/contracts, training, DPIAs, monitoring. Applies universally to organizations handling personal data; ICO audits enforce via fines and orders. (178 words)