Payment gateway security should be number one priority for small business websites

Selecting a payment gateway for a transactional small business website involves adhering to strict Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) guidelines that can help companies avoid fines or legal action, according to the Times Dispatch.

The news source emphasizes the importance of securing cardholder data. This means not storing credit card numbers unless absolutely necessary, using a Secure Sockets Layer to encrypt card numbers at the checkout page and controlling access to cardholder data from employees.

Additionally, small businesses can beef up security on their websites by installing a firewall, changing the default passwords on all networking equipment, keeping anti-virus software up-to-date and testing security with regularity, the news source reports.

Kareem Tawansi, CEO of Solentive Software, maintains that in order to ensure online security, online retailers have two options available. "They can choose to either become PCI compliant and handle credit card information themselves, or use a third-party payment gateway."

Smart Business Online reports that organizations that take shortcuts to become PCI-compliant risk potentially huge fines and the costs of notification, as well as the damage to a company’s reputation and revenue stream that can result from a breach in customer credit card security.