The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) is an organization founded in 2006 to enhance payment card security. It was created by major credit card companies, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and JCB. The council develops and maintains security standards to protect cardholder data during transactions. The primary standard established by the PCI SSC is the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). This set of requirements helps businesses securely handle credit card information and reduce the risk of data breaches. Compliance with these standards is essential for any organization that processes payment card transactions.