The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council, formed just five years ago, has become the de facto arbiter of network security guidance for businesses, Dark Reading's Ericka Chickowski wrote in a recent report.

Seana Pitt told Chickowski that the earliest days of PCI SSC were marked by uncertainty.

"In some ways it feels like a lifetime ago, and in some ways a moment ago, that I was sitting around waiting for the phones to ring," she said in an interview.

Pitt added that the tone has shifted dramatically in the community, with vendors and participants having realized the value of the group's guidance through the PCI DSS.

Although the PCI SSC still gets criticism sometimes - it is frequently accused of promoting rote compliance without an understanding of the risks or issues involved - its proponents say it has done a world of good for businesses, according to Dark Reading .

Experts urge companies that have not yet complied with the group's standards to do so immediately, viewing them as the baseline for effective network security.