Banking regulation has always been a bit of a tennis match—a back-and-forth between more regulation, and then less. Before the shift to deregulation starting in the 1980s, banks adhered to state and federal banking laws, as well as narrow lines of business. After years of phased-in deregulation, the pendulum swung back. Now regulatory and industry compliance for banks includes more rules than ever before: privacy laws, federal trade regulations, non-bank industry regulations, and community impact reporting.

When it comes to payment card security, the secure exchange of data is a well-known security requirement. It should come as no surprise that, for compliance with the PCI DSS standard, you must define how you do that.

In the classic film Twister, Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt are faced with life or death at the very end. As an F5 tornado bears down on them, they use leather belts to anchor themselves to the ground, keeping themselves from getting swallowed up in the maelstrom.

Picture this: you’re a child getting ready to head to the beach. Your parents grab your swimsuit, sand bucket, towel, flippy floppies, sunscreen, water, and snacks, and you’re all out the door. For you, it’s been a fairly simple operation to have some fun.

Across the globe, we’ve become accustomed to the routine of the FIFA World Cup. It occurs every four years, and the renowned football—or soccer, depending on where you’re from—tournament progresses the same way each time. Aside from the athletes chosen to play for their respective teams, really the only major thing that changes significantly about the World is the location where it’s held.

Consider this: when a house gets inspected before a sale, the entire thing gets assessed. It doesn’t matter whether one contractor did all of it, or if one did most while another did the bathrooms, or maybe the seller got a different contractor to renovate each room.

As globally accredited PCI QSAs, we get a lot of questions regarding the many facets of PCI DSS, payment card security’s flagship standard.

Consider this—you’re responsible for your teeth. While you do all the requisite things to take care of them yourself—like brushing and flossing—you also go to a dentist regularly.