Channel looking for PCI windfall
Resellers hoping to benefit from introduction of version 2.0 of PCI DSS
Secure transactions: New version of PCI DSS standard came in last month
VARs are counting on the introduction of the latest PCI DSS standard to force retailers to open their wallets and spend on security.
The PCI Security Standards Council last month tightened the security rules governing retailers and other organisations processing credit card transactions with the release of PCI DSS 2.0.
The standard has also now been placed on a new three-year release cycle, with the next version due in 2013.
Amichai Shulman, chief technology officer at security vendor Imperva, said the changes between versions 1.2 and 2.0 are relatively minor, but he welcomed its arrival.
"The evolution of PCI DSS is aimed at adapting the standard to the evolving threat and technology landscape, while reducing the cost of compliance. PCI DSS 2.0 is an important step in that direction," he said.
Recent research conducted on behalf of vendor Tripwire by Redshift Research suggested just 11 per cent of UK firms were PCI audited and certified as compliant.
VAR NTS counts retail among its key verticals. Managing director Jonathan Lassman complained that the standard still lacked teeth and hoped the new version would prompt greater enforcement activity.
"Until they start fining people serious sums of money, no one is going to take PCI seriously," he said. "I hope bringing out a new version will see it policed more stringently and that will translate into new sales."
The majority of changes are designed to make the requirements easier for merchants to digest.
Ian Kilpatrick, chairman of security distributor Wick Hill, hoped its introduction would help put PCI compliance back in the spotlight.
"PCI compliance has drifted into the long grass," he said. "This gets it back into people's minds to comply as they are beginning to implement penalties."