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IT & Data Security

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The GoCardless content team comprises a group of subject-matter experts in multiple fields from across GoCardless. The authors and reviewers work in the sales, marketing, legal, and finance departments. All have in-depth knowledge and experience in various aspects of payment scheme technology and the operating rules applicable to each. The team holds expertise in the well-established payment schemes such as UK Direct Debit, the European SEPA scheme, and the US ACH scheme, as well as in schemes operating in Scandinavia, Australia, and New Zealand. See full bio

Last editedJun 20241 min read

A list of suggested questions to ask your Direct Debit provider about IT and data security.

Security is of paramount importance when picking a provider, particularly when it comes to payments. You'll want to find a provider who can offer a proven high level of security.

The following list of suggested questions have been vetted by our security and technical team:

	Question	Explanation
1.	Describe how access to payments data is controlled (i.e. who can access it, how accessing it works, details of encryption etc.)	In general, these questions are around ensuring that the provider has established practices to ensure the security of payments data. Payments data should be encrypted and difficult to get access to.
2.	Describe your password security guidelines and how these are enforced.	For due diligence.
3.	Has your system been externally penetration tested?	A penetration test should be done by an external provider and should be done semi-annually at least; these ensure that any security vulnerabilities are discovered and resolved. Penetration test results are sensitive, and providers will require an NDA before sharing them.
4.	When was your system last externally penetration tested?	For due diligence.
5.	How often is your system externally penetration tested?	For due diligence.
6.	Describe how your application and its associated data is hosted (i.e. cloud, bare metal, local vs. remote, etc.). If you use any external providers, specify them and explain why they were chosen.	For due diligence.
7.	How is physical security ensured? i.e. employee access, designated rooms for servers, etc.	For due diligence.
8.	Describe how the encryption of payment details works, including web-based encryption (e.g. HTTPS).	Ensuring that the data is encrypted from end to end is crucial; transmission over the web should be TLS/HTTPS only, and SSL keys should be used internally and stored securely.

Our sample RFP includes all of the questions above and more. You can download it here and use it as a template for creating your own.

Note: The questions suggested on this page are intended as a starting place for writing your own RFP. They're provided for general information only: they're not intended to be prescriptive or to provide legal advice. We suggest working closely with your management to develop an RFP that is tailored towards the specific requirements of your business.