Navigating the sea of acronyms in the PCI (Payment Card Industry) can be somewhat scary, so here is a helpful guide to deciphering basic terms.

• CCP- Credit Card Processor.
• DSS- Data Security Standard. This is a standard set by the PCI Security Standards Council by which companies must be compliant to ensure financial data security.
• MAP or MSP- Merchant Services Provider. Another term for credit card processor.
• PAN- Primary Account Number. The actual number on a person’s credit card. It is also encoded in the magnetic stripe and contains the major industry identifier, and a code that ensures the authenticity of the embossed account number.
• PA-DSS- Payment Application Data Security Standard.  SSC (see below) managed council focused on helping software vendors create secure payment applications that do not store prohibited data, for example, the PIN number.
• PCI- Payment Card Industry. The debit, credit, prepaid, e-purse, ATM and POS cards’ businesses.
• PIN- Personal Identification Number. A numerical password a user must enter into a system in order to authenticate his/her identity.
• POS- Point of Sale. The location where a transaction occurs, for example, a checkout counter.
• SAQ- Self Assessment Questionnaire. A tool used to  gauge a merchant’s level of PCI DSS compliance.
• SSC- Security Standards Council.  PCI’s council to develop, enhance, and implement security standards for financial data protection.
• SSN-Social Security Number.  Major liability for credit card breaches since cards have access to the SSN of the user.