Secure Your Business With Our Comprehensive Services
Securing your business is more important than ever in the era of relentless cyber threats. HCS Cybersecurity offers comprehensive IT compliance services and cybersecurity solutions, including specialized services tailored to meet specific needs.
PCI-DSS Compliance
We specialize in assisting small-to-mid-sized merchants with PCI-DSS compliance. Our team is well-versed in the intricacies of self-assessment questionnaires and can guide you through the process, ensuring your business meets all the necessary compliance requirements.
Microsoft Certified Security
Bolster your cybersecurity with our Microsoft-Certified security, compliance, and identity fundamentals expertise. Trust HCS Cybersecurity to safeguard your Microsoft systems and data from potential breaches, thanks to our deep understanding of Microsoft's security protocols and best practices.
Vulnerability Scanning
Identifying and addressing vulnerabilities is crucial for staying one step ahead of cyber threats. HCS Cybersecurity offers comprehensive vulnerability scanning services to assess and fortify your systems against potential weaknesses.
Training and Education
Educating your employees about cybersecurity best practices is essential in creating a robust security culture within your organization. Our training and education programs are designed to equip your staff with the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and respond to cyber threats effectively.
Contact HCS Cybersecurity Today
Ready to fortify your business against cyber threats? Contact HCS Cybersecurity for more information on how we can help you secure your business. Don't wait until it's too late—take a proactive approach to cybersecurity with HCS Cybersecurity today.
PCI Compliance
The PCI Compliance framework applies to businesses handling payment cards. So, by this rule, it impacts every business that collects, processes, or transmits cardholder data. Let us today learn a bit in detail the consequences of non-compliance with PCI DSS.
PCI DSS is the baseline data security standard for organizations handling and processing cardholder data. It is a guideline that helps a business establish a secure process for handling card data. Although there is no legal obligation for businesses to comply with the requirements yet it is an industry-standard and no payment brand or acquirer will allow you to process card data unless you are PCI DSS certified.
Non-compliance to the PCI DSS requirement will involve significant repercussions including fines, penalties, legal actions, data breach, loss of revenue, and even damage to business reputation.
The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) manages and administers the PCI DSS framework. It is important to note that the fines are not published by the PCI Council. PCI DSS is a requirement and a mandate by contract between merchant and the credit card brands. So, since it is not a law, non-compliance with the requirement results in fines and penalties charged by the credit card brands. This means in case of non-compliance which typically comes to light in an event of a data breach the fines are passed on to the merchants by the banks. Read along to learn how the process of PCI DSS Fines and penalties work.
When an organization has experienced a data breach, the payment card brand investigates the merchant’s acquiring bank. Acquiring banks are the ones that process credit card transactions for the merchants. The payment brand assesses whether or not the bank has conducted its due diligence to ensure the merchant’s level of PCI DSS Compliance. Based on the investigation findings and level of monitoring, they fine the bank if the merchant is found to be non-compliant at the time of the breach.
This would mean incurring fines and penalties from payment card brands to the banks, which they eventually pass it on to the merchant as fines in the form of the increased transaction fee as or based on the severity of breach even terminate business. The penalties will also typically involve fines related to the breach and payment of damage towards consumers affected.
As per the contract between the merchants and the acquiring banks, if found non-compliant, the merchants will pay the fees and related penalties. The PCI DSS Fines & Penalties may vary from each payment brand and also significantly vary based on the severity of the breach, non-compliance history, and payment volumes of the merchant. But typically speaking merchants can expect financial penalties from anywhere between the range of $5,000 to $10,000 per month for violating PCI DSS. Payment Brands conduct forensic investigations to determine penalties for PCI non-compliance. Acquiring banks may at times levy additional fines over and above the imposed fines for your non-compliance by payment brands. However, the general range of penalties for PCI noncompliance may be as follows-
For the 1-3 months $5,000–$10,000 per month
For the 4-6 months $25,000–$50,000 per month
For 7 months or more $50,000–$100,000 per month.
However, these fines will still be less in comparison to the fees for lawsuits, actions by the federal government, credit monitoring fees, compensation fees to customers affected, and other financial penalties related to non-compliance PCI DSS compliant. The compensation fee for customers would range from $50 to $90 for each customer affected by the breach."