CISP / PCI Compliance: The Key to Keeping Your Online Business Secure
If you run an online store or take credit card payments, it’s important to know about CISP / PCI Compliance. CISP, which started as a VISA program, later became part of the PCI Compliance rules — the standard for keeping payment information safe. These rules help protect things like credit card numbers and personal details through encryption, secure backups, and regular checks. Following PCI Compliance keeps your customers’ data safe and ensures you can continue accepting payments without problems.
CISP / PCI Compliance FAQ
What is CISP?
CISP (Cardholder Information Security Program) was originally developed by VISA to protect cardholders' information whenever a purchase was made. CISP requirements were later incorporated into PCI Compliance, the current industry standard for data security.
What is PCI Compliance?
PCI Compliance (short for PCI DSS Compliance, or Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Compliance) is the current industry standard for protecting data, such as credit card numbers or other financial and personal information. VISA has outlined the basics of the PCI Compliance standards on the VISA website. You can see more details concerning PCI Compliance at the PCI Security Standards Council website.
Do I need to be PCI compliant to sell online?
The PCI standards require all online retailers to comply with a series of security tests to preserve their ability to process credit cards. These thresholds encompass the encryption of credit card numbers, the procedures for secure backup, and having actual auditors review the code around the commerce software itself.
How can I tell if I am PCI compliant?
Most major commercially sold e-commerce software (such as Ecwid) is designed with PCI compliance in mind. Additionally, any merchant, individual, or business that stores, transmits, or processes payment card information needs to be PCI compliant. This includes companies that only take payments over the phone and companies that use a third-party payment processing system, like PayPal. So if your website is built with credible software and/or uses a credible payment provider, there is a good chance that your website is PCI compliant.
Review
CISP / PCI Compliance is all about keeping credit card and personal information safe when customers shop online. CISP started as a VISA program and later became part of the PCI rules, which are now the standard for payment security. These rules make sure stores use things like encryption, secure backups, and regular checks to protect data. If your store uses trusted e-commerce software and a reliable payment provider, you’re probably already following PCI Compliance. Still, it’s smart to confirm this with your provider or use tools like SiteLock to check. Staying compliant helps you keep processing payments and protects your customers’ trust.