What is PCI compliance/certification and why is it a must for the hospitality industry?

PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) is a specific set of regulations that was created with the purpose of protecting data. It is a certification given to businesses that have all the security features to handle customer payment data securely. PCI compliance is given to services/products developed in adherence to the recommendations set forward by PCI.

The PCI Standards Council (SSC) develops the standards for PCI compliance and these rules apply for the entire ecosystem that deal with payment data and transactions like service providers and merchants. PCI Security Standards Council was founded by Discover Financial Services, American Express, MasterCard Worldwide, Visa Inc. and JCB International to have a proprietary information security standard available.

Hospitality industry – and the relevance of PCI

The hotel & hospitality industry is a multi-million dollar industry with high revenue and thousands of customers regularly seeking hotels, resorts and restaurants regularly. With its high interaction with guests and access to their card details, it is one of the most frequently targeted industries by cybercriminals. Credit cards, in particular, are susceptible, and such data in the wrong hands can cause problems for the customers and tarnish the reputation of the concerned hotel targeted for cyberattack.

The advantage of PCI compliance/certification to customers

The best thing about PCI DSS is that it is not a one-time assessment – it is an annual assessment that validates the security aspects to confirm that the safety features are always maintained at high standards.

The main purpose of this compliance is to protect customer data from security breaches and theft – a problem that is of concern in the hospitality industry. Most importantly, a PCI certification/compliance is an assurance to the customers that their data is always safe and thus win their trust and maintain reputation.

Twelve requirements for PCI compliance

1. Use a strong firewall configuration to protect customer payment data
2. Avoid use of weak or default system passwords
3. Protect card details through proper security measures
4. Encrypt card information, especially in open and public networks
5. Regularly update antivirus programs/software and perform periodic scans
6. Develop secure systems and maintain them
7. Restrict access to card details and customer information to only the concerned employees
8. Add a unique ID to every computer accessed by each employee
9. Prevent physical access to credit or debit card details
10. Keep a constant track of access for network resources and card information
11. Test and audit security systems and processes on a periodic basis
12. Set up an information security policy for all employees

The compliance for Hotel PMS

Many hotels have now switched to property management system (PMS) software to handle their properties efficiently and with little manual effort. Since PMS handles various aspects of hotel management including payment processing, PCI compliance is as necessary to a PMS software product as it is to a hotel business.

A PCI-certified PMS can offer the following benefits:

1. Secure payments: A PMS handles credit card transactions securely and protects the guest identity and other information.
2. Safe storage: The software can store different guest information (including sensitive data like credit card number, name, address, etc.) with built-in security features and only authorized personnel having access to it.
3. Trust: Since a hotel’s reputation lies in keeping their customer data safe, a PCI-certified PMS software that handles their data can help maintain customer trust and the client hotel’s reputation through the high level of security it offers.
4. Legal obligation: Hotels are required by law to protect customer details and ensure the highest level of security while handling them and a PCI-certified PMS software that handles it can help fulfil it even if the hotel itself does not have PCI certification/compliance yet.
5. Competitive edge: PCI compliance can add competitive advantage to hotels and hotel software in the industry and make them trusted options among the many available.

WinCloud’s PCI DSS Level 1 Certification

If you are looking for the best-in-class property management system software, choose WinCloud. With its Level 1 PCI DSS Certification assessed and qualified by an external certifying agent, it offers the highest level of security while handling all the sensitive payment data of your guests. With six different modules in one comprehensive package, WinCloud is a great choice for a safe, efficient and intuitive PMS for single or multiple property management.