Reviewed by Jeff Harms
Director, Advisory Services at OCD tech
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Updated Oct, 3
Discover if Square meets PCI DSS compliance standards to ensure secure payment processing for your business.
Director, Advisory Services at OCD tech
Updated Oct, 3
Guide
Square is PCI DSS compliant, meaning its systems meet the necessary industry standards to securely handle payment card data. However, PCI DSS compliance is an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring, assessment, and updates.
When we say a company is PCI DSS compliant, we mean that it follows the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard—a set of strict security guidelines designed to protect credit card information. Square, as a major payment processing provider, maintains these standards by implementing robust security measures, regular audits, and constant monitoring. The goal is to minimize risks such as data breaches and ensure that both merchants and customers are adequately protected.
A few key points about this compliance include:
Ongoing Process: Compliance isn’t a one-time status; it involves continuous evaluation and updating of security protocols to counteract evolving threats.
Comprehensive Controls: Square employs a variety of safeguards including encrypted data transmissions, strict access control, vulnerability scanning, and regular audits to ensure all aspects of the environment are secured.
Shared Responsibility: While Square provides a PCI DSS compliant platform, merchants must also follow best practices. Any gaps in a merchant’s own security practices can compromise the overall system.
Expert Guidance: For businesses unsure about their own PCI DSS readiness or needing help understanding how to secure their operations, consulting firms like OCD Tech offer expert readiness assessments and detailed guidance, using our extensive experience in the field to help ensure full compliance.
By maintaining PCI DSS compliance, Square demonstrates a commitment to protecting cardholder data, but it is equally important for every business involved in handling payment information to understand and meet their own obligations. With the right support, such as that available from OCD Tech, organizations can confidently navigate the complexities of PCI DSS and enhance their overall security posture.
What is...
Explore how Square integrates PCI DSS standards to ensure secure, compliant payment processing for businesses and customers alike.
Square is a comprehensive payment processing platform known for its user-friendly interface and robust security measures. In the PCI DSS compliance landscape, Square offers integrated tools that help merchants handle card transactions securely. It combines advanced encryption, tokenization, and continuous monitoring to maintain PCI DSS compliant environments, reducing exposure to data breaches and fraud.
Square’s approach focuses on:
PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) is a set of rigorous security requirements designed to protect cardholder data and ensure safe payment transactions. In the context of Square, these standards are critical as Square processes millions of card payments daily. Square implements robust encryption, secure access controls, and continuous monitoring measures to meet PCI DSS compliance, thereby reducing fraud risk and enhancing customer trust. This strict adherence to PCI DSS ensures that both merchant and cardholder information remain secure.
For a detailed breakdown of the specific security configurations needed for compliance, our article provides a comprehensive walkthrough.
The first thing you should do is turn on multi-factor authentication. Our simple guide shows you how to do it in just a few minutes.
OCD Tech offers a comprehensive suite of cybersecurity and IT assurance services, including SOC 2/3 and SOC for Cybersecurity reporting, IT vulnerability and penetration testing, privileged access management, social engineering assessments, virtual CISO (vCISO) support, IT general controls audits, WISP development, and compliance assistance for frameworks like CMMC, DFARS, and FTC Safeguards.
OCD Tech specializes in serving highly regulated sectors such as financial services, government, higher education, auto dealerships, enterprise organizations, and not-for-profits throughout New England.
Typically, OCD Tech’s on-site work spans 1–2 days, depending on complexity and number of sites, followed by 1–2 weeks of analysis and reporting to deliver clear, actionable recommendations.
SOC 2 reporting demonstrates to clients and prospects that an organization follows best-in-class controls over security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy—boosting trust, meeting RFP/due diligence requirements, and helping secure contracts. OCD Tech helps organizations achieve and maintain this compliance.
Yes—OCD Tech provides guidance for compliance with DFARS (NIST 800‑171), CMMC (Levels 1–3), and FTC Safeguards, ensuring organizations meet specific government or industry-based cybersecurity mandates.
A virtual CISO delivers strategic, executive-level cybersecurity leadership as a service. OCD Tech’s vCISO service is ideal for organizations lacking a full-time CISO and helps build programs, define policy, oversee risk, and guide security maturity.
Absolutely. OCD Tech provides tailored internal IT Audit training and security awareness sessions, plus annual reviews of Written Information Security Programs (WISP), such as Massachusetts 201 CMR 17 and other state or industry-specific controls.
Audit. Security. Assurance.
IT Audit | Cybersecurity | IT Assurance | IT Security Consultants – OCD Tech is a technology consulting firm serving the IT security and consulting needs of businesses in Boston (MA), Braintree (MA) and across New England. We primarily serve Fortune 500 companies including auto dealers, financial institutions, higher education, government contractors, and not-for-profit organizations with SOC 2 reporting, CMMC readiness, IT Security Audits, Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Assessments. We also provide dark web monitoring, DFARS compliance, and IT general controls review.
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OCD Tech
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25 BHOP, Suite 407, Braintree MA, 02184
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844-623-8324
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https://ocd-tech.com
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