Fight The Recession With PCI Card Data Security Compliance

By Matt Taylor, CEO, Mercury Payment Systems

Security breaches happen. Merchants lose information because they do not take card data security seriously or they cut corners because achieving compliance seems too expensive or difficult. On top of existing security risks, the poor economy only increases the risk of a security breach as data thieves get smarter and hungrier.

Since merchants rely on their POS reseller for information technology expertise, POS resellers are in a fantastic position to help merchants understand and achieve compliance. Every merchant has gaps in their PCI security plan. Gaps come in many forms, including poor firewall protection, insufficient password management policies, noncompliant remote access services, and non-PABP compliant POS software. How can resellers turn merchants’ need for card data security into additional sales and service opportunities? Partner with a trusted PCI compliant payment processor and customize a plan to minimize their merchants’ security risks.

Partnering with a PCI compliant payment processor can make it easier to follow security mandates and add value to resellers’ offerings. Some vendors even offer PCI education campaigns for resellers. Reseller partners can then raise their customers’ awareness of risks, such as:

• Selecting a payment processor that is PCI-compliant and can proactively monitor transactions
• Upgrading to a PCI-compliant version of the POS system
• Activating existing, or adding new, security features
• Securing remote network access

With these ideas in mind, the challenging economic forecast and increased security risks actually create opportunity for resellers. Resellers who offer meaningful PCI card data security products, services, and expertise will earn additional revenue — something that is more important now than in recent years. The combined profits from servicing existing customers and payment processing residuals can help ward off the effects of the recession.