Starting Jan. 1, 2015, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) Version 3.0 (click-through agreement required) will replace Version 2.0. The PCI DSS is a set of requirements developed by the four major credit card networks and is designed to enhance the security of credit card transactions and cardholder data. The PCI DSS requirements apply to any entity involved in credit card processing, including merchants, processors and service providers that store, process or transmit cardholder data. In short, the PCI DSS applies to virtually all companies, big and small, that take credit card payments from consumers or help facilitate those transactions.