Customer PCI DSS Audits Expedited

Credit card companies and banks have taken steps to ensure credit card data security and prevent fraud and identity theft, as online transactions have risen. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard audit (PCI DSS) is one way that credit companies enforce protection of sensitive information, and companies which processes credit card payments should apply for this certification. American Internet Services (AIS) has begun assisting auditors for PCI DSS certification of their colocation facility customers. AIS has served, for almost 15 years, financial institutions, gaming companies, credit card companies, and online entertainment companies - all industries which process online payments and have demanding security needs.

Personal financial information has become increasingly vulnerable to theft and fraud, as consumer credit card usage has become widespread. Hundreds of thousands of users information can be "misplaced" and open to fraud, if businesses improperly handle credit card information. PCI DSS describes six target areas for security: strong access control, virus management, data encryption, secure network designs, testing and monitoring networks, and information policies. Including restricting physical access to the servers which contain cardholder data, the most important target area, for colocation facilities, is strong access control.

AIS has implemented, as a colocation facility for financial, service, entertainment, and retail businesses, a variety of security protocols and systems for customer company servers and data.

By providing tours and information about their hardened, security features, AIS has helped their data center customers:

    * Multiple-camera video surveillance, with 30-day archives of all footage
    * Hand scanners
    * Badge systems and passcards for all visitors and employees
    * Logs for all client, employee, and vendor access to servers and the facility
    * Server cabinet and server room locks

AIS is proud to aid their data center customers in their PCI DSS assessment process and to ensure data integrity through proven physical security measures. The AIS data center is already SAS-70 Type II certified; SAS-70 certification covers all the security parameters of PCI DSS, plus additional security and policy content areas, through a long-term audit process.