To achieve compliance with the PCI DSS standard, businesses must adhere to 12 requirements, which are grouped into six key goals. You can treat them as a PCI compliance checklist: Building and maintaining a secure network. This involves installing and maintaining a firewall configuration to protect cardholder data and avoiding the use of vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters. Protecting cardholder data. Businesses must protect stored cardholder data and encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks. Maintaining a vulnerability management program. This includes using and regularly updating anti-virus software and developing secure systems and applications. Implementing strong access control measures. Businesses should restrict access to cardholder data by business need-to-know and assign a unique ID to each person with computer access. Monitoring and testing networks. Regular monitoring and testing of networks is essential to ensure that security measures are functioning effectively. Maintaining an information security policy. A comprehensive information security policy should be maintained to address information security for all personnel. By following these steps, businesses can ensure they meet the PCI DSS requirements and protect their customers' sensitive information.