Hughes Announces New Wireless PCI Scanning Service For Retail

Hughes Network Systems, LLC, a player in the broadband satellite networks and services space, has announced a new PCI wireless scanning service as part of its HughesNet Security Services suite. The new service assists retailers to quickly and cost effectively meet Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) guidelines that require them to ensure the security of the cardholder data environment by scanning all sites for wireless threats, even when Wi-Fi is not deployed at the site.

As part of the managed service, Hughes operates a centralised delivery system employing a wireless access point at each retail location, which scans for the presence of unauthorised wireless devices. Any rogue wireless device is detected automatically and the retailer is notified electronically for remediation actions. Optionally, Hughes can dispatch a trained technician to locate and remove the rogue device.

“Before the PCI Security Standards Council published new wireless guidelines in July 2009, many retailers believed they only needed to scan for rogue Wi-Fi devices if they implemented Wi-Fi at a location,” said Sampath Ramaswami, Hughes Solutions Group. “Many also thought they needed to scan only a sampling of their sites to be compliant. The new guideline states all retailers must scan all their sites at least once a quarter, whether they use Wi-Fi or not. As a result, retailers are finding that they need to address this deficiency as soon as possible or potentially lose their PCI compliance.”

Ramaswami further said, “This new enhancement to our security offering assists retailers to rapidly deploy a cost-effective solution to preserve their PCI certification and better protect their customers.”