QTS Realty Trust has achieved 3.1 PCI DSS and AOC compliance for colocation at its Dallas data center. The Dallas-Fort Worth mega data center is QTS' fourth 3.1 PCI DSS compliant center.

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a worldwide information security standard set by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council to help control and minimize fraud risks and reduce the ability to compromise sensitive information. In August 2016, QTS received from its Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) the PCI DSS v3.1 Report on Compliance (ROC) and Attestation of Compliance (AOC) for colocation services covering the Dallas-Fort Worth mega data center.

"Our primary goal is to keep our customers' data safe and keep our systems in compliance with the latest industry standards," said Oliver Schmidt, chief audit executive, QTS. "One of the advantages of having an in-house data center team is that we can plan with compliance regulations in mind during the development stages of a new facility and be able to achieve certification as necessary."

The PCI DSS standard has more than 100 rigorous and rigid requirements that providers must meet. It is an information security standard to ensure cardholder data is secure for all applications, systems and network infrastructure that impact the security of the cardholder data. QTS has implemented a complex network architecture to meet the robust PCI DSS policy, procedures and control requirements at Atlanta-Metro, Atlanta Suwanee, Richmond, and now Dallas-Fort Worth.

"We've seen great success since we opened and the addition of our 3.1 PCI DSS compliance will not only greatly benefit our current clients, but also attract new customers with specific compliance needs," said Travis Wright, Site Director - QTS. "With cloud storage and colocation continuing to grow, it is essential that companies select a service provider that adheres to strict compliance requirements to protect their customers' data."

The next version of PCI DSS is v3.2. QTS will work to keep all PCI DSS compliant data centers current by routinely updating all security standards to keep customer data safe.