Blogger: Randall Gamby

An alarming trend is beginning to surface within SMB “PCI compliant” companies, like Hannaford Brothers (http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/031708-hannaford-data-breach.html), Okemo Mountain Resort (http://www.okemo.com/okemowinter/security_update.asp), etc. Credit data is being stolen!  While this is exceedingly bad, I have a theory on why this is happening. 

Before I get into my theory I’d first like to talk about military bases.  As we all know, the military contains a lot of top secret information.  So how does, say the U.S. Army, protect it?  First, they classify what information needs to be protected.  Next they find a piece of property that they can physically secure.  Once the property has been thoroughly checked (no listening devices or mines buried in the ground) they construct a series of secure buildings to house the data. They then put up a fence with a limited number of gates with guard houses and guards to protect it. Then, most importantly, after certifying the security of the base, they use sentries to periodically patrol the perimeter of the grounds to ensure unauthorized access is not gained by spies sneaking in under the fence.

So what does this have to do with PCI compliance for SMBs?  Well the process of PCI certification is similar to what a military branch would do to secure their information.  Enterprises identify and classify what data falls under PCI compliance. They validate that the systems that contain the information are controlled properly and are locked down through processes and technologies. Then they build a fence of security around the systems to ensure only properly authorized personnel have access to them.  Finally they certify that the protections meet PCI compliance requirements. But unlike the military, I theorize that a lot of SMBs, short on personnel and resources, quit here.  In exploring the topic I’ve found that there’s an attitude by some executives that PCI compliance is a gate.  Once SMB organizations achieve PCI compliance, some move on to the next pressing security problem.  But this is the wrong attitude.  Just as the military found out eons ago, they must be constantly on guard because spies are always looking for kinks in the defense perimeter in order to slip in and gain access to information without authorization. 

It seems that SMBs are the most at risk of not having “guard patrols” constantly patrolling the perimeter due to the cost and resources needed to monitor and report on the security’s on-going effectiveness and the bad guys are now sneaking in stealing the very data they created these defenses to protect.

So what’s the warning? Whether you’re a SMB or Global Enterprise, PCI compliance is a gate, that’s pretty much a fact, but it can’t be left unguarded.  Time, money and resources must be allocated on an on-going basis else the bad guys will sneak in undetected and you may find yourself making a breach disclosure that wasn’t detected until it was too late.