Middlebury’s Payment Landscape

Middlebury approves the use of PCI SSC Validated P2PE solutions for card present, mail order and telephone order transactions. Bluefin Payment Solutions is Middlebury’s preferred P2PE vendor. Please see the Resources page for contact information.

Middlebury approves only wholly outsourced PCI Validated Level 1 e-Commerce solutions, where none of the website touches Middlebury’s networks.

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is an information security standard for organizations that accept credit cards from the major card brands; Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and JCB. The PCI Standard is mandated by the card brands and administered by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council. We are contractually obligated to comply with the PCI DSS. The standard was created to increase controls around cardholder data to reduce credit card fraud. Validation of compliance is performed annually. 

Standards

PCI DSS is comprised of 12 requirements for protecting account data:

1.0: Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect cardholder data.

2.0: Do not use vendor supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters.

3.0: Protect cardholder data.

4.0: Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks.

5.0: Use and regularly update anti-virus software and programs.

6.0: Develop and maintain secure systems and applications.

7.0: Restrict access to cardholder data by business need to know.

8.0: Assign a unique ID to each person with a computer access.

9.0: Restrict physical access to cardholder data.

10.0: Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data.

11.0: Regularly test security systems and processes.

12.0: Maintain a policy that addresses information security for all personnel.

PCI DSS Compliance Team

For general contact, email pcicomplianceteam@middlebury.edu.

Alberto Citarella 802-443-2073 acitarella@middlebury.edu
Matt Curran 802-443-5504 matthewc@middlebury.edu
Kim Downs-Burns 802-443-5158 kdowns@middlebury.edu
Chris Norris 802-443-5480 cnorris@middlebury.edu

Contract Language

All contracts entered into by Middlebury College, including payment card data, must contain the following language:

Middlebury requires that [service provider] shall at all times maintain compliance with the most current Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS).  As evidence of compliance, [Service provider] will provide when requested, a current Attestation of Compliance. [Service provider] acknowledges responsibility for the security of cardholder data, to the extent that they could impact the security of the customer’s cardholder data, as defined within PCI DSS.  [Service provider] acknowledges and agrees that cardholder data may only be used for completing the contracted services as described in the full text of this document, or as required by the PCI DSS, or as required by applicable law.  

In the event of a breach or intrusion or otherwise unauthorized access to cardholder data stored at or for [service provider], [service provider] shall immediately notify Middlebury’s Information Security team at: infosec@middlebury.edu, 802-443-2929, to allow the proper PCI DSS compliant breach notification process to commence. [Service provider] shall provide appropriate payment card companies, acquiring financial institutions and their respective designees access to the [Service provider]’s facilities and all pertinent records to conduct a review of the [service provider]’s compliance with the PCI DSS requirements.

In the event of a breach or intrusion [service provider] acknowledges any/all costs related to breach or intrusion or unauthorized access to cardholder data entrusted to [service provider] deemed to be the fault of [service provider] shall be the liability of [service provider].  [Service provider] agrees to assume responsibility for informing all such individuals in accordance with applicable law and to indemnify and hold harmless Middlebury and its officers and employees from and against any claims, damages or other harm related to such breach.