WASHINGTON – A leading data security executive with Visa USA today expressed renewed support for the standards the card industry has embraced for card security.
Speaking to business, government, academic and law enforcement officials at Visa's third Global Security Summit, held in Washington DC, Ellen Richey, chief enterprise risk officer for the card brand, made it clear that the data security standards, which go under the name PCI DSS, are the industry's best option for fighting card fraud.
"Recent rumblings about the demise of the PCI DSS are not only premature; they are dangerous to long-term security," Richey told the meeting in prepared remarks. "Despite recent negative commentary, the PCI DSS remains an effective security tool when implemented properly. Simply put, it is the best defense against data theft available today. As we've said before, no compromised entity has yet been found to be in compliance with PCI DSS at the time of a breach."
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But as Richey emphasized the commitment to PCI, she also stressed the importance of not seeing data security validation as a catch all.
"Let there be no mistake, it's not validation that provides protection – validation is only a snapshot in time, like a financial audit or a health inspector's report. It is the ongoing commitment to maintaining compliance – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – that protects an organization from suffering a breach," she added.
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