Credit and debit card payments accounted for approximately 62% of all financial transactions completed in the United States in 2023, and there is evidence to suggest a clear and continuing trend away from cash and towards card payments.
Whatever your views are on this change, it’s clear that credit card usage, in particular, has seen significant growth, nearly doubling its share since 2016. Securely handling credit or debit card transactions is now more critical than ever for your business.
Guaranteed security is essential when handling card payments, making Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance vital.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this article:
- Discover why PCI DSS compliance is so important for security.
- Understand the basics of PCI DSS and its relevance.
- Explore the specifics of PCI Hosting.
- Learn how PCI-compliant hosting providers protect sensitive cardholder data.
- Identify what to look for when choosing your next hosting provider.
Armed with this information, you will be able to choose the best PCI-compliant hosting provider for your business needs.
What Is PCI Compliance?
The PCI Security Standards Council was formed by major credit card companies, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and JCB. Together, they created the PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) to ensure that any business that accepts, processes, stores, or transmits credit card information does so in a secure IT environment.
What Are the 12 PCI-DSS Requirements?
The PCI DSS framework consists of 12 core requirements for businesses to become PCI-compliant. These are broadly split into six goals:
Goal 1: Build and Maintain a Secure Network System:
- Firewalls: Install and maintain firewalls to protect card data.
- No Defaults: Change vendor-supplied default passwords and security settings.
Goal 2: Protect Cardholder Data:
- Protect Stored Data: Secure stored cardholder data (encrypt, mask, limit storage).
- Encrypt Transmission: Encrypt card data sent over public networks (using tools like SSL certificates for TLS).
Goal 3: Maintain a Vulnerability Management Program:
- Anti-Malware: Use and regularly update anti-virus/anti-malware software.
- Secure Development: Develop and maintain secure systems and applications (patching).
Goal 4: Implement Strong Access Control Measures:
- Need-to-Know Access: Restrict card data access based on job role/need.
- Unique IDs & Authentication: Assign unique IDs; use strong authentication methods (MFA).
- Physical Security: Restrict physical access to cardholder data/systems.
Goal 5: Regularly Monitor and Test Networks:
- Track & Monitor Access: Log and monitor all access to network resources and credit card data.
- Test Security: Regularly test security systems (security audits, vulnerability scans, penetration tests).
Goal 6: Maintain an Information Security Policy:
- Administrative Security Policy: Maintain an information security policy for all personnel.
Meeting these 12 PCI requirements is fundamental to achieving PCI compliance for any business that processes credit card payments. Implementing these PCI standards within your hosting environment helps create a secure environment for transactions. Maintaining compliance requires ongoing effort, often with the support and PCI assistance from your chosen hosting solutions provider.
How to Ensure PCI Compliance
Meeting these 12 requirements raises the crucial question of how best to implement them within your hosting setup. One of the best ways to achieve PCI Compliance is to outsource your cloud hosting to a provider that guarantees a PCI-compliant hosting environment.
Of course, it’s possible to go it alone, but in private platforms, it is much harder to achieve PCI compliance, and it typically requires significant investment to get your hosting environment to meet the necessary standards.
PCI Hosting Providers are popular because there is no need for you to buy additional hardware; you are simply onboarded into a PCI-ready environment – an IT ecosystem that already meets the hardware-bound compliance requirements. There will still be some software controls you need to introduce, but the overwhelming majority of the hard work will already be done for you.
PCI Hosting Reviews
Choosing the right hosting company is fundamental when your business processes credit card payments. It’s important to remember that not all providers offer the same level of support or infrastructure needed to ensure compliance with PCI standards.
We have reviewed 5 of the most popular hosting providers, offering our view about how each of them approaches PCI-compliance for web hosting:
#1: Atlantic.Net
https://www.atlantic.net/pci-compliant-hosting/
With over 30 years in the industry, Atlantic.Net is an established hosting provider specializing in secure and compliant cloud, dedicated, and colocation solutions, particularly known for its expertise in managed services and especially in HIPAA and PCI DSS compliance.
- Compliance Approach:
- Offers PCI-Compliant Hosting solutions on Cloud VPS hosting and dedicated hosting plans.
- Provides a PCI-ready environment built upon SOC 2 and SOC 3 certified infrastructure.
- Achieving full PCI compliance requires customer configuration (shared responsibility model), aided by Atlantic.Net’s managed services.
- Key Features & Advantages:
- Extensive managed services suite focused on security (Managed Firewall, IPS, Encrypted VPN, MFA, Anti-Malware, WAF, DDoS protection).
- Offers secure off-site backups (Managed Veeam).
- Provides vulnerability scanning options and expert PCI guidance/architecture assessments.
- Audited infrastructure (SOC 2/3, HIPAA) provides a strong foundation for protecting sensitive data and customer data.
- Boasts 30+ years of experience and 24/7 expert support.
- Includes a 100% Uptime SLA.
- Suitability:
- Excellent choice for businesses needing highly secure hosting, scalable (Cloud VPS, dedicated servers), and compliant (PCI/HIPAA) infrastructure.
- Ideal for regulated industries like healthcare and finance.
- Best suited for organizations wanting comprehensive managed services to assist with the complexities of maintaining PCI compliance.
#2: AWS PCI Compliance
https://aws.amazon.com/compliance/pci-dss-level-1-faqs/
AWS is the world’s most broadly adopted cloud platform, offering over 200 fully featured services from data centers globally, catering to businesses ranging from startups to large enterprises.
- Compliance Approach:
- Operates under a strict shared responsibility model: AWS secures the underlying cloud infrastructure (and is PCI-compliant for it); the customer secures everything they run in the cloud.
- Customer is responsible for configuring their environment (OS, apps, data, networking, IAM) to meet PCI requirements.
- Key Features & Advantages:
- Wide range of scalable hosting solutions and advanced security features (WAF, GuardDuty, Inspector, KMS, Security Hub, Config) to aid compliance.
- Provides extensive documentation, compliance reports (via AWS Artifact), and tools to help customers achieve PCI compliance.
- Offers global reach and high availability.
- Suitability:
- Suitable for businesses of all sizes needing highly scalable, flexible infrastructure for processing payment data or handling sensitive data.
- Requires significant technical expertise or reliance on AWS partners/consultants to correctly implement and maintain a compliant environment.
#3: GoDaddy
GoDaddy is one of the world’s largest domain registrars and web hosting companies, known for its extensive marketing and providing a broad array of online tools typically aimed at small businesses. They do however offer a good selection of PCI compliance services which has grown in popularity.
- Compliance Approach:
- For standard hosting, compliance is entirely your responsibility. It is only considered achievable on VPS or Dedicated Server plans, as their shared hosting is not suitable for meeting PCI standards.
- For their certified solutions (like GoDaddy Payments or their Online Store platform), they manage the technical PCI requirements of the transaction, simplifying your compliance significantly.
- The responsibility for securing the server environment and passing PCI scans lies with the customer.
- Key Features & Advantages:
- Offers a full suite of products from domains to marketing tools and their own PCI-certified payment platforms.
- Provides the necessary tools like SSL certificates and DDoS protection that form part of a compliant setup..
- 24/7 customer support is available to assist with general server inquiries.
- Suitability:
- Excellent for small businesses that use GoDaddy’s all-in-one certified e-commerce platforms, as this is the simplest path to compliance.
- For those needing to build a custom compliant environment, it’s a viable option only on their VPS or Dedicated Server plans and requires you to take full ownership of the configuration, scanning, and management process.
#4: Wix
Wix is a leading cloud-based development platform that allows users to create professional websites through a drag-and-drop interface, with a strong focus on e-commerce and small business solutions.
- Compliance Approach:
- As a Level 1 PCI DSS compliant service provider, Wix handles the technical aspects of compliance for its users.
- Every website built on the Wix platform is covered by Wix’s PCI certification by default. They handle all the technical requirements for securely processing transactions, regardless of which payment provider you connect to your site.
- This is not a shared responsibility model in the traditional sense; Wix centrally manages the security of its entire platform, including the checkout process on your site
- Key Features & Advantages:
- Fully hosted platform, meaning no server management is required by the user.
- Uses advanced security measures, including Transport Layer Security (TLS 1.2+ encryption) and a segregated, secure environment for all payment functions.
- Automatically provides a free SSL certificate for all sites.
- Security is managed centrally by Wix’s dedicated expert team.
- No need for users to run their own external PCI scans, as Wix’s infrastructure is already certified.
- Suitability:
- Excellent for small businesses and entrepreneurs who want a secure, all-in-one solution for their online store without needing technical expertise.
- Ideal for users who want to avoid the complexities of managing PCI DSS compliance themselves.
#5: Azure
Microsoft Azure is a leading global cloud computing platform, offering a massive collection of integrated services for building, deploying, and managing applications through Microsoft-managed data centers.
- Compliance Approach:
- Operates under a strict shared responsibility model. Microsoft ensures that the underlying Azure infrastructure is fully compliant with PCI DSS Level 1, the highest standard, and provides an official Attestation of Compliance (AoC) to prove it.
- The customer is solely responsible for building, configuring, and managing their cloud applications and services to be compliant on top of Azure.
- Azure provides a Shared Responsibility Matrix that clearly defines which PCI DSS requirements are handled by Azure and which are the customer’s responsibility.
- Key Features & Advantages:
- A comprehensive suite of advanced security tools to support compliance, including Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Azure Firewall, Azure Key Vault, and Azure Policy.
- Provides a PCI DSS Blueprint to help accelerate the deployment of a compliant environment.
- Offers extensive documentation, audit reports, and global data center presence.
- Suitability:
- Best for medium to large enterprises and developers with the technical expertise to design and manage a secure cloud architecture.
- Requires a dedicated effort or partnership with a managed service provider to implement and maintain PCI compliance correctly.
Online Payments and Hosting Services
When looking through the PCI hosting reviews mentioned above, it’s important to scrutinize the required parts of the PCI compliance standards to find the best fit for your organization. Businesses approach PCI-DSS in various ways; some need a complete managed PCI-Hosting Service, others just need a particular managed service to make their existing platform compliant.
It’s important to remember that one size doesn’t fit all.
Here’s what you should look for in your next PCI hosting provider:
- Explicit Compliance Statement & Support:
- Verify the provider clearly states their commitment to supporting PCI DSS compliance.
- Check if they specifically offer PCI assistance or PCI guidance.
- Look for providers who openly discuss their compliance stance and detail relevant services (like “PCI-Ready Hosting” or managed security).
- Note providers known for this transparency (e.g., Nexcess, Atlantic.Net).
- Be wary of providers who are vague or unclear about their compliance support.
- Robust Security Features:
Compliance hinges on strong security. Reviews should highlight:- Firewalls: Managed hardware/software firewalls, WAFs.
- Encryption: Availability of free SSL certificates, strong TLS protocols, encryption for data at rest (including backups).
- Vulnerability Scanning & Patching: Do they offer or facilitate quarterly PCI scans? Proactive patching policies?
- DDoS Protection: Essential for availability and security.
- Secure Data Centers: Physical security, certifications (SOC 2, SOC 3, ISO 27001). Atlantic.Net, for instance, emphasizes its SOC 2/3 certified data centers.
- Server Environment & Control:
- Shared Hosting: Often unsuitable or challenging for achieving PCI compliance due to limited control and isolation.
- VPS Hosting / Dedicated Servers: Generally better choices as they provide the necessary control and environment isolation for meeting PCI standards.
- Managed WordPress Hosting: Providers can offer secure environments, but typically require payment processing via third-party services rather than direct handling on the server.
- Access Levels: Evaluate the server access provided (e.g., root access vs. fully managed) and ensure it aligns with your technical needs and compliance strategy.
- Technical Fit: Choose an environment that matches your team’s technical skills and ability to manage compliance responsibilities.
- Backup and Disaster Recovery:
- Verify the availability of secure, preferably off-site backups.
- Examine details regarding backup frequency and data retention policies.
- Confirm if backup storage includes security measures like encryption.
- Assess the provider’s process for ease and reliability of data restoration.
- Performance and Reliability:
- Look for specific uptime guarantees, often detailed in a Service Level Agreement (SLA) – like Atlantic.Net’s 100% uptime SLA.
- Check independent reviews or performance benchmarks for positive feedback on speed and stability.
- Remember that reliable performance impacts user experience and effective security monitoring.
- Understanding Shared Responsibility:
- Seek providers who are transparent about the shared responsibility model for PCI compliance.
- Confirm they clearly outline which PCI requirements they handle (e.g., physical infrastructure security).
- Understand which compliance responsibilities will fall to you as the merchant (e.g., application-level security, user access).
- Support Quality:
- Ensure the provider’s support team demonstrates knowledge of PCI requirements.
- Verify if they offer specific PCI assistance, such as help interpreting scan reports or addressing flagged issues.
- Consider providers known for experienced, 24/7 support teams specialized in compliant hosting (e.g. Atlantic.Net).
Reading PCI hosting reviews with these points in mind helps separate providers mentioning PCI from those offering genuine, compliant-ready solutions.
Best PCI-compliant web hosting company
With the importance of selecting the right partner established, let’s focus on why Atlantic.Net rises to the top for businesses prioritizing security, compliance, and support.
Here’s why Atlantic.Net stands out:
- Extensive Industry Experience (30+ Years): Operating since 1994, Atlantic.Net brings over three decades of experience to the hosting sector. This extensive history demonstrates stability and provides a deep understanding of evolving technological changes and complex compliance standards, including PCI DSS.
- Audited, Compliant-Ready Infrastructure: A secure infrastructure is foundational for compliance. Atlantic.Net utilizes data centers independently audited and certified against SOC 2 Type II and SOC 3 Type II standards. This verified foundation ensures clients build upon infrastructure meeting rigorous security controls essential for supporting PCI DSS and HIPAA compliance initiatives.
- Simplified Compliance via Managed Security: Achieving and maintaining PCI compliance can be difficult. Atlantic.Net facilitates this through a comprehensive suite of optional managed security services—including managed firewalls, Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), secure backups, WAF, DDoS protection, anti-malware, and vulnerability scan assistance. By offloading these critical security management tasks, clients can allocate more resources to their core business objectives.
- Expert 24/7 Customer Support: Reliable and knowledgeable support is crucial. Atlantic.Net provides expert assistance available 24/7/365 via phone and email, frequently recognized for responsiveness and informed guidance. Beyond standard technical support, their team offers valuable compliance insights and IT architecture advice, aiding clients in navigating complex PCI requirements effectively.
- Flexible, High-Performance Hosting Platforms: Atlantic.Net delivers flexible hosting solutions, such as scalable Cloud VPS and high-performance Dedicated Servers, to meet diverse operational needs. These services are engineered for performance and reliability, underscored by a 100% Uptime Service Level Agreement (SLA) ensuring availability for critical applications.
- Trusted Choice for Regulated Industries: Atlantic.Net’s focused approach to addressing demanding regulatory requirements has established it as a trusted provider within sensitive industries. Their specialization in supporting PCI DSS and HIPAA compliance makes them a recognized choice for organizations in e-commerce, finance, and healthcare requiring validated security and compliance measures.
Take the critical next step towards fully secure and compliant hosting for your payment processing needs. Learn more about Atlantic.Net’s specific PCI-ready solutions today. See how our certified infrastructure and robust managed security options can safeguard your operations and valuable customer data.