PCI (Payment Card Industry)
Learn about PCI DSS security standards for handling cardholder data in analytics. Understand key requirements, scope, and compliance for payment card processing.
PCI (Payment Card Industry): Security Standards for Cardholder Data
What is PCI DSS?
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of security requirements that any organization must follow when handling credit/debit card information. In practice, PCI DSS mandates that businesses which accept, process, store or transmit cardholder data maintain a secure environment. Cardholder data typically includes the full Primary Account Number (PAN), cardholder name, expiration date and service code. Sensitive authentication data (like CVV codes or PINs) is never allowed to be stored after authorization. In other words, PCI says: “if you don’t need it, don’t store it.”
Key requirements
Protect card data at all times. This means using encryption for stored PAN, limiting and logging access, segmenting networks, and regularly testing systems. PCI DSS covers technical and operational controls (12 major requirements) such as firewalls, encrypted transmission, and vulnerability management. Card data must be rendered unreadable (for example with strong encryption) whenever it is stored. Regular audits and network scans are also required to verify compliance.
Scope
Any database or analytics system that touches card data falls under PCI. If your data warehouse or BI tool will contain cardholder information, you must ensure it meets PCI standards. Many cloud analytics services (e.g. Tableau Cloud) have achieved PCI DSS compliance to support customers in financial industries. Organizations still bear responsibility: for example, customers must configure access controls and encrypt connections to remain compliant.