If you’re a cable operator, chances are you are familiar with the PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Right? Wrong. According to a recent ControlScan survey, 47 percent of Level 4 companies – or merchants processing fewer than 20,000 credit card transactions per year – were “unsure” or “not at all” familiar with PCI DSS. Ouch. Moreover, 69 percent of respondents believed that there was “little to no chance” they would become a victim of a data breach.There’s no doubt that the purchasing habits of consumers have changed. However, so too have the skills of hackers. Today’s customers have a slew of payment options to choose from, making them increasing vulnerable to attacks. Despite companies’ efforts to combat hackers, data breaches continue to rise. According to the Ponemon Institute, 40 percent of breaches result in “company negligence.”

That being said, it’s critical for cable operators to safeguard sensitive data, which is where PCI DSS comes into play. This set of standards, created by the PCI Security Standards Council, was designed to protect credit card holder data and primary account numbers from fraud and theft, as well as help companies develop a robust payment card data security process – including prevention, detection and appropriate reactions to security incidents.

With WinPay from GLDS operators are able to securely process customer payments via their WinCable billing and subscriber management system, both of which are PCI-compliant. However, just because you employ a platform that is PCI DSS compliant doesn’t mean all of your business process are.

To learn more about WinPay, click here.