One of the most important facets of payment card security is enacting an emergency response plan. Prevention efforts can only go so far to protect merchants from the fallout of a breach, so preparing for the worst is an integral part of data protection strategy. 

On this blog, we recently discussed how continuous attention to compliance measures like auditing helps companies identify breaches as soon as a compromise occurs. But then what?

"Once auditing is in place, you should be able to detect and respond to any incidents that fall outside of normal business rules," explains Steve Dickson, vice president and general manager of Windows Management, Dell Software in CIO Magazine. "Have a solution that can simultaneously audit and alert. You also need to remediate any issues by restoring controls and proactively preventing them from changing going forward."

A way that companies can achieve this is by maintaining strong and active relationships with third parties. According to Dickson, there should be a clear delineation of responsibilities for monitoring and crisis management, so that when a breach does occur, the appropriate individuals understand their role in minimizing the damages. Companies that conduct casual or distant relationships with their service providers should make efforts to become closer. 

This can take the form of an initial meeting, where expectations and responsibilities are assigned. But in follow-up conferences, companies and their service providers should review monitoring data and be prepared to report on any unusual activity that has occurred. At VantageCard, we have a proven record of helping merchants enact the best payment card security practices and meet PCI compliance requirements. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your business protect itself from breaches.