(Which regulation requires organizations to implement strong encryption measures to protect credit card data?)

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of security standards designed to ensure that all companies that accept, process, store, or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment. A core component of PCI DSS is the requirement to protect cardholder data. Specifically, Requirement 3 mandates the protection of stored account data, often through strong cryptography, and Requirement 4 requires the encryption of cardholder data during transmission over open, public networks. This makes it the primary regulation focused on credit card data protection.

A: CCPA is a broad consumer privacy law for California residents, not a standard specifically focused on credit card data security.

C: HIPAA mandates the protection of electronic protected health information (ePHI), not financial or credit card data.

D: GDPR is a comprehensive data privacy regulation for EU citizens, covering all personal data, not just credit card information.

1. PCI Security Standards Council. (2022). Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard Requirements and Security Assessment Procedures, Version 4.0. Requirement 3, "Protect Stored Account Data," and Requirement 4, "Protect Cardholder Data with Strong Cryptography During Transmission Over Open, Public Networks." Document available at https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/documentlibrary/

2. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (2016). Special Publication (SP) 800-53 Rev. 4, Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations. Appendix J, "Privacy Control Catalog," references PCI DSS as a related security standard for financial data. https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-53r4