Payment Security 101: Where To Start To Keep Your Merchant IT Clients Safe

By Bernadette Wilson

Retail data breaches have made the headlines, and your merchant IT clients are more and more aware of the threat cybercriminals pose to their businesses. In this exclusive interview, Business Solutions asks Karen Cox, VP of payments and retail solutions for Moneris Solutions to share the basics of helping your merchant IT clients — especially tier 2 and 3 merchants — maintain security, to offer examples of technology solutions that can help keep payment card data more secure, and to explain the VAR’s role in helping clients maintain PCI DSS compliance.  

BSM: There seem to be a multitude of circumstances that could lead to a data breach. What are the three most important aspects of maintaining security for solutions providers’ merchant IT clients?

Cox: When channel partners are talking to merchants, things they should be making them aware of — even with the introduction of EMV — include:

1. Don’t keep data around. In the event a hacker successfully gets into a system, it’s best to ensure they never see any stored sensitive data from the time it leaves the secure entry point by either swipe, tap, insertion, or key. Take it to the physical level and don’t write down card numbers and don’t put additional card swipers on the point of sale (POS).
2. Protect the terminal and any associated administrator cards and passwords for conducting return and void transactions and system settings. Remind your clients never to leave it unattended to reduce the possibility of tampering.
3. Observe the transaction. Remind your clients to make sure the customer is properly inserting and doing a proper EMV transaction. Advise your clients that if the EMV transaction fails, have associates ask the customer if they can assist in inserting the card correctly to avoid fraudulent transactions where people will try to default to mag swipe.

Sign in to read more.