🔐 PCI DSS 4.0 Is Here: What Small Businesses Need to Do Now

By Robert Skinner | WBN News | May 13, 2025

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If your business accepts credit cards, April 1, 2025, marked a major deadline: PCI DSS 4.0 is now officially in effect. These new security standards are designed to better protect consumer data and reduce fraud across the payment ecosystem.

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) applies to any business that stores, processes, or transmits credit card data, regardless of size, country, or processing volume.

This includes all Canadian businesses. Whether you use Moneris, TD Merchant Services, Global Payments Canada, or another processor, PCI DSS compliance is mandatory. Canadian processors are now requiring updated Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQs) and may impose penalties or higher rates for non-compliance. It also complements privacy laws like PIPEDA by strengthening how customer data is handled.

🔄 What’s new in PCI DSS 4.0?

1. Increased flexibility in how businesses can meet security requirements (customized approaches now allowed).
2. More frequent reporting and security reviews, especially for businesses handling large volumes.
3. Enhanced password and authentication protocols to better protect cardholder data.
4. Stronger risk management and access control procedures.

Even small businesses using third-party processors must ensure their providers are compliant — and confirm that they themselves are not introducing vulnerabilities through Wi-Fi, POS terminals, or website integrations.

🧾 What small businesses need to do:

• Review your processor agreement: Make sure your provider is PCI DSS 4.0 compliant and supporting you accordingly.
• Complete a Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ): This helps you identify your level of compliance and any weak spots.
• Secure your systems: Update firewalls, ensure multi-factor authentication is active, and encrypt customer data where stored.
• Train your staff: Human error is still one of the biggest data breach risks.

💸 What’s the cost of non-compliance?

Fines for PCI DSS violations can range from $5,000 to $100,000 per month, depending on the level of risk and whether the breach results in actual data theft. Even without a breach, being out of compliance may raise your monthly processing fees or expose you to contract cancellation — in both the U.S. and Canada.

WBN News - South Delta Edition

Robert Skinner - Publisher

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