Software Quality Research Library

According to the latest PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) numbers reported by Visa, the percentage of large merchants that met PCI DSS compliance more than doubled over the last eight months. This incremental increase in compliance levels to meet the PCI DSS deadlines prompted many organizations to take a "fast track" track approach to demonstrating compliance. Although PCI DSS is an excellent standard and security best practice, the goal of implementing any set of security controls is to monitor for change on a continuous basis - compliance is not a snapshot in time. As a result, many organizations who take this fast track approach are achieving the short-term goal of PCI DSS compliance, but missing the long-term goal of truly protecting card holder data.