PCI Policy Statement

"As a self-employed individual conducting business operations, I am committed to protecting and maintaining the security of all cardholder data that I process, store, or transmit.

I recognize my obligations under the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) to uphold rigorous data security standards to prevent unauthorized access, misuse, or disclosure of cardholder data.

I am committed to implementing and maintaining all necessary security measures as stipulated under PCI DSS, including but not limited to secure network infrastructure, regular vulnerability assessments, and secure data processing and storage protocols.

In the event of a data breach or suspected data breach, I will take swift action to address the issue, inform all relevant parties, and take steps to prevent such an incident from occurring in the future.

I will regularly review this policy and my compliance with PCI DSS to ensure that I am continually upholding the highest standards of cardholder data security."

Scope of Policy

This policy applies to all activities that involve the access, transmission, storage, and disposal of cardholder data, and the technologies and processes that facilitate these activities.

  1. Cardholder Data and Third-Party Services: The policy covers any instance where cardholder data is used in association with third-party services. This encompasses, but is not limited to, situations where third-party services are used to process payments, store cardholder data, or provide other services that require access to cardholder data. These third-party service providers must themselves be PCI DSS compliant, and the responsibility for ensuring this compliance lies with the proprietor.

  2. Computer and Network Access: This policy also applies to all computers and networked systems through which cardholder data is accessed, transmitted, or stored. This includes all hardware, software, and associated infrastructure used for the processing, transmission, storage, and disposal of cardholder data.

  3. Access Control: Any individual or system with the capability to access, process, transmit, or store cardholder data falls within the scope of this policy. This includes physical access to areas where cardholder data is processed or stored, as well as digital access to computer systems and networks where cardholder data is accessed or stored.

  4. Responsibility: As the business owner, it is my responsibility to ensure all activities adhere to the standards outlined in this policy. This includes ongoing oversight of third-party service providers, systems access control, and the implementation and maintenance of necessary security measures.

Regular reviews and updates of this policy will be undertaken to ensure its relevance and effectiveness in managing risks associated with the handling of cardholder data.

Incident Response Plan

Upon learning of a breach or potential breach of one of the third-party services used by the business, the following steps will be taken:

  1. Incident Identification and Confirmation: As soon as a potential breach is identified, I will work to confirm whether a breach has indeed occurred. This might involve contacting the third-party service provider, seeking evidence of the breach, and trying to identify what cardholder data may have been compromised.

  2. Initial Containment and Data Security: I will take immediate steps to limit the extent of the data breach. This may involve temporarily suspending the use of the compromised third-party service, changing access controls, or taking other steps to protect cardholder data.

  3. Incident Investigation: I will work with the affected third-party service provider and any relevant experts to investigate the breach. This will include determining how the breach occurred, what data was compromised, and how the breach can be fully contained and resolved.

  4. Contacting Vendors: Upon verification of the breach, I will contact all vendors who may be impacted by the breach. The objective of this communication is to inform them of the breach, what steps are being taken to resolve it, and any actions they should take to protect their interests.

  5. Remediation Plan: Once the immediate breach has been contained, I will work on a remediation plan. This could include strengthening security measures, updating protocols with the third-party service provider, or switching to a different service provider if necessary.

  6. Notification and Reporting: Depending on the scale of the breach, it may be necessary to notify affected customers and the appropriate regulatory bodies. I will also document the breach, the response to it, and any lessons learned in a formal incident report.

  7. Review and Update: Once the incident has been fully resolved and reported, I will review the incident response plan. Based on the lessons learned from the breach, the plan will be updated to better protect against future incidents.

This incident response plan will be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure it remains effective and relevant to the evolving security landscape.