Verizon Business said on Wednesday that its Verizon Cloud Computing as a Service cloud computing offering is the first cloud-based solution to complete the PCI DSS audit for storing, processing and transmitting credit card information.  They say the certification may be a compelling reason for retailers and other organizations that process credit card data to move their critical payment applications to the cloud.

Verizon’s CaaS underwent a third-party examination of policies, procedures and technical systems, as well as an on-site assessment and system-wide vulnerability scan.  “Compliance with PCI DSS sets Verizon apart from other players in this space,” says Joseph S. Crawford, executive director, IT solutions, Verizon Business, quoted in the press release.  “As more enterprises look to cloud-enabled IT services, it is essential that we offer a secure environment for corporate applications. PCI compliance further underscores our ongoing commitment and investment in cloud computing.”

The PCI DSS standard was developed by the credit card industry to monitor the security standards and practices of a hosting organization and their systems that handle credit card transactions. The deadline for retailers handling transactions to demonstrate compliance with the standard passed last month, in July of 2010. Cloud servers need to have the same standards that normal dedicated servers have.  PCI cloud hosting servers are going to be crucial and part of the law in the next 6 months.  This is a very smart move by Verizon Business getting their cloud servers PCI compliant.