Understanding PCI-DSS for Contact Centers: Compliant vs. Compliance

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When fines for PCI-DSS non-compliance can reach up to $100,000 USD/month, it is no wonder customers always ask us: “How can I comply with PCI-DSS?” While it is a great question to ask, there is no simple answer. In this article, we will explore the different ways organizations can be compliant.

We have noticed a lot of confusion around following PCI-DSS guidelines, especially since there is no set way to comply. So what can you do to avoid those hefty fines? 

Read this article to learn what PCI-DSS is, what it is not, how you can comply with PCI-DSS, and how MiaRec ensures your data is secure in every contact center interaction.

What Does PCI-DSS Mean for Me? Defining PCI-DSS 

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) was developed by the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI-SSC) to encourage payment security hygiene and facilitate the broad adoption of consistent data security measures globally. 

PCI-DSS is a security standard that’s mandated by the card brands (AMEX, Visa, MasterCard, etc.) and the banks that handle payment processing. It applies to "any entity that stores, processes, and/or transmits cardholder data". Since all major credit card and payment processing systems adhere to PCI-DSS,  you’ll need to follow this standard unless you’re ready to pay the fine. 

There are 12 principal PCI-DSS requirements, in addition to guidance documents, information supplements, and resources online provided by the PCI SSC to help you navigate the PCI-DSS requirements.

 The 12 principle PCI-DSS requirements are: 

1. Install and Maintain Network Security Controls.
2. Apply Secure Configurations to All System Components.
3. Protect Stored Account Data.
4. Protect Cardholder Data with Strong Cryptography During Transmission Over Open, Public Networks.
5. Protect All Systems and Networks from Malicious Software.
6. Develop and Maintain Secure Systems and Software.
7. Restrict Access to System Components and Cardholder Data by Business Need to Know.
8. Identify Users and Authenticate Access to System Components.
9. Restrict Physical Access to Cardholder Data.
10. Log and Monitor All Access to System Components and Cardholder Data.
11. Test Security of Systems and Networks Regularly.
12. Support Information Security with Organizational Policies and Programs

The PCI Security Standards Capital has launched PCI 4.0, which is an updated version of PCI 3.2.1. PCI-DSS v3.2.1 will remain active for two years after v4.0 is published, meaning you have until March 31st, 2025 to meet the new PCI-DSS v4.0 standards. 

Image: Screenshot from the “PCI-DSS v4.0 At a Glance” guidance document

How Can My Business Comply with PCI-DSS? Compliance vs. Compliant

Being compliant with PCI-DSS today does not equate to long-term compliance; you should be constantly reviewing your company’s security measures. There is not one fixed way to comply with PCI-DSS. There are self-assessment questionnaires, attestation of compliances (AOC), and guidelines you can refer to, but it is important to understand that there is no PCI-DSS “certification”. 

For some organizations, complying with PCI-DSS could mean a complicated and personal process involving internal executives, IT leaders, legal teams, and auditors. For others, it means trusting their third party payment infrastructure to do their due diligence. 

Meeting PCI-DSS Guidelines With An On-Prem Call Recording WFO Software

With on-prem software solutions, you will have control over your contact center’s security and deployments. However, managing on-premise contact centers require extensive resources. If you do not have a dedicated and experienced IT and compliance team, it will be difficult to juggle customer needs and agent workloads alongside compliance regulations. 

Should My Contact Center Migrate To The Cloud? 

Is keeping your contact center on-prem more secure or should you migrate to the Cloud? Hosting your contact center in Cloud is a more flexible option for organizations looking to consistently scale to match business needs. 

For cloud-based contact centers, you are relying solely on third parties to provide secure solutions to your customers. MiaRec offers both cloud-based solutions and on-prem set-ups based on your needs. 

Is MiaRec's Cloud Platform PCI-compliant?

As a contact center Conversation Intelligence platform, MiaRec has always been following PCI compliance standards to secure our client's data as well as their users. This section will explore MiaRec’s password-protected controls, audio file encryptions, audit trail capabilities, and auto-redaction features.

MiaRec’s password-protected and role-based access controls stop any unauthorized users from logging in. Each user must be authenticated with a given set of permissions before they’re able to access your MiaRec platform. 

In addition to our role-based access control system, MiaRec offers audio file encryption. By storing audio files on an encrypted hard disk, users won’t be able to access the recordings without the private encryption key. It’s a great way to securely back up your data. 

Any audits you conduct on MiaRec can be viewed through the Audit Trail Summary Report.  The Audit Trail Summary Report consolidates your audit logs onto one dashboard and filters the logs by user, role, group, and tenant. 

Besides being PCI compliant, MiaRec also helps customers comply with PCI standards by providing Auto Data Redaction functionality. Manually eliminating personal information can not only be time-consuming and labor-intensive but ineffective as you have to rely on your agents to manually pause and resume their call recording. MiaRec’s AI-driven Auto Redaction automatically redacts sensitive data from transcripts and their associated audio files, ensuring contact centers are compliant without having to review every transcript. Please note our Auto Redaction feature is only available in our enterprise package. 

Conclusion: Beyond PCI-DSS

While it is good security hygiene to follow PCI-DSS guidelines, it certainly will not stop cyber criminals from trying to extort you. It is important that you are aware of who in your organization has access to what data, when, where, and why. 

Investing in the right tools can make it easier to comply with PCI-DSS and other regulations. With MiaRec, you can secure your customer’s information and ensure their privacy. 

If you are interested in learning more about how MiaRec can streamline your contact center’s compliance workflows, click here to secure a free online demo.