Why You Need PCI DSS Compliance How to Pass The Audit

Why You Need PCI DSS Compliance How to Pass The Audit We are working in an age where it looks like a big part of our lives went through a digital converter. All the information we possess is slowly being turned in to Data, even in parts we didn’t expect, such as our finances.This does not necessarily need to be a bad thing for us and the security of our assets, if it is handled correctly.The way we do that is by enforcing certain rules and regulations that we can abide to in order to uphold a well established standard of working.Since there are many Fields in which we have went digital so to there are different types of standard and regulations that we have created.To get a better picture, some of those fields are:FinancialResearchMedicalMilitaryThe reasoning behind this is that, each field has their own specific set of standards that they need to uphold. Meaning that one set of rules for the Financial Field might not be fully applicable to the Medical Field.In this article we will focus on the Financial field as an example of this ki nd of regulatory obedience, more importantly the Payment Card Industry.WHAT IS PCI DSS AND WHY GET CERTIFIED?The PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) is a set of security standards made for companies which process store or transmit any type of credit card information. It has been created to provide and maintain a secure Financial Environment, above all.In the documentation, its key components are broken down in to certain mile stones or goals to make it easier for any company undertaking this process to segregate individual tasks and requirements.These Goals Have been well explained in the following table:Build and Maintain a Secure Network1. Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect cardholder data2. Do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parametersProtect Cardholder Data3. Protect stored cardholder data4. Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open, public networksMaintain a Vulnerability Management Prog ram5. Use and regularly update anti-virus software or programs6. Develop and maintain secure systems and applicationsImplement Strong Access Control Measures7. Restrict access to cardholder data by business need-to-know8. Assign a unique ID to each person with computer access9. Restrict physical access to cardholder dataRegularly Monitor and Test Networks10. Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data11. Regularly test security systems and processesMaintain an Information Security Policy12. Maintain a policy that addresses information security for employees and contractorsFrom this we can get a good glimpse in the processes handled in order to get PCI DSS Certified. But what does it mean to get Certified and why should you follow any of this?ReputationBecoming PCI DSS Certified companies give their clients the ease of mind that they are not a shady merchants and that they are in fact upholding the operation to a certain rigorous standard. This makes busines s a lot more productive and of course secure.SecurityThe overall Security that companies gain through the implementation of such a standard is a great reason on its own why they should get certified. Having a process which enables a company to have greater overall control of what is going on within their infrastructure and policies set in place to know how to react is a great boon for any enterprise.TrustThis is the biggest reason for certification. When someone reads that the company from which they are buying from is PCI DSS Certified they are well aware that certain measures have taken place and it is easier for clients to trust the company a lot more if the company itself invests in Security.MandatoryIn some cases is it mandatory to be certified.Basically if someone is dealing with client information such as their personal numbers or credit card details, in order for the business itself to run in certain locations or fields it must be PCI-DSS Compliant first. Otherwise there is the matter of extravagant fines from third party audits which go to great lengths to protect the personal data of their clients usually by legal means.The reasoning behind why companies should get certified is solid, but how do they actually get certified?WHAT IS A COMPLIANCE AUDIT?An Audit is the process of making sure that all previously mentioned goals, such as in the table above, are actually met.Usually Auditors or professionals which are very knowledgeable in their field, perform these audits in order to give their clients a passing score that they are in fact upholding their end of the deal.Auditors go through each checkpoint so to say, depending on the type of compliance in question and review everything they believe should be upheld. Auditors usually tend to be from completely neutral third party companies that have nothing to do with the company they are actually auditing.This preserves the common interest between parties and it makes sure that no foul play such as false c ertifications are taking place.The process is usually resembling a very thorough and practical QA of sorts. Where both the company in question and the auditor sit down and go through each step in a methodical way. The company provides evidence to whatever the Auditor requests and if they are satisfied, these segments get a passing score.Otherwise, if certain goals are not met and the Auditor is dissatisfied they have the means to not grant certification or even re-certification to companies until they fix everything. Usually a good time frame for these kinds of actions is given in order for everything to be dealt with in a comprehensive manner.Afterwards another audit takes place and if this time everything checks out, the company receives the highly sought after certification for being Fully Compliant.Different types of auditors are needed for different types of Compliance Certifications. They are usually focusing on one or two at the most, it’s often very hard to have an auditor which specializes in more.Compliance Auditing is important because it is most of the time the only way to get comprehensively certified in a neutral non-repudiating path.GETTING PREPARED FOR THE PCI DSS AUDITIn order to get acquainted with what is needed in order to get certified, we need to go through the PCI DSS Goals.Firewall ConfigurationHaving a Firewall in place is not enough. It needs to be well managed and configured. The difference between a bad auditor and a good one is the difference between what they accept is fine. A bad auditor is perfectly fine if the company shows them a firewall is active while a good one will question further and would usually want to see if it is Properly Configured as well and in some cases even test it.Usually Auditors are either Penetration Testers themselves or they have such professionals on standby to make different types of checks before they can verify that everything is working as it should. Make sure that your firewalls are well configu red.Vendor Supplied DefaultsUsually after an installation, inexperienced system administrators will leave the default credentials on the systems they have installed.This is a hazardous way to run things inside ones infrastructure since if an attacker finds out what type or version of technology is running on the systems, they can immediately try out all defaults first. This sounds basic, but you would be surprised how effective and common it is.Roaming through highly secured networks in order to fail on the most basic of security implementations such as default credentials. Always make sure that everything is custom and changed since before even deploying.Protect Stored Cardholder DataCardholder Data usually refers to the vital information gained from Credit Cards or any other appliance which could seriously jeopardize ones privacy.Usually Banks as well as other establishments that need to hold on to this kind of data, have to have certain protocols in how they actually preserve it from being compromised.For example there are a few questions that the Auditor could ask:Is the Data Encrypted?Is there Physical Security on site where the Data is being stored?What proactive measures such as CCTV cameras do you have in place?Is the data shared with anyone at any time?The answers to these types of questions may well be the difference between a passed or failed audit.Encrypt TransmissionAt some point in time, this type of data may be transferred. Either inside the infrastructure or publicly. During these transfers it is imperative that the data is encrypted at all times. Since it leaves from its source all the way to its destination. The reasoning behind this is the sniffing that could occur inside the network.Basically sniffing is the act of trying to intercept data when it is flowing from one point to another in order to capture it. But if the data itself is encrypted, even if it is captured it remains unintelligible. Encryption also has to be something which is cur rently held as a standard, it can’t be outdated or already proven to be easily cracked.Regularly Update Software Anti-VirusThis one I believe needs no introduction. It’s basic Security standard 101. Even so, many companies do not take responsibility on regular updating of their systems.This is becoming the main issue of infiltration today. Attackers usually manage well known exploits for older systems.Basically the older a system is the more likely it has already been exploited and exposed publicly. Attackers use these exploits to get inside. In order to prevent this, the best way is to hold your systems constantly updated and at their newest versions as to minimize the chance of public exploits working.Also, having an Anti-Virus on all hosts prevents most known malware to be activated on your system. Having the Anti-Virus updated constantly also makes sure that the latest signature database is up and running which mitigates any newly released threats as well.Develop Maintain Secure Systems and ApplicationsCustom made applications are usually a part of most companies which deal with payment methods. These systems can be proprietary and as such will need custom maintenance and dealing with bugs/security risks. Also the overall infrastructure on which it is hosted will demand good upkeep both in a practical and secure way.Basically, this point focuses on our custom builds and what we can do to make them better. Good configuration for example comes in to mind for these systems/applications.The difference often between a secure environment and a not so secure one lays in the way it was configured. Basically what it was approved to allow. Sometimes as we mentioned before defaults are not the best way to go since they might allow many unfavourable settings as well.Restrict Access to Card Holder Data by Need To Know PrincipleBasically, only the applications, databases, servers, nodes or people that absolutely need to have access to the Card Holder Data should b e allowed and no one else. This enforces the Need To Know Principle. For example, servers that have no need to access the data in any way, should not be allowed to have any network connectivity to said data.This prevents many types of missuses and attack vectors. For example if the Server that does not need to have contact is in fact compromised then it simply can’t get to the Card Holder Data.On the other hand, if everything in the network for example was allowed and any person that wanted to could pop up a shell and look through everyones records, there would be a disaster and this would not be compliant to PCI DSS Standards.Unique ID for each person that has accessEveryone that can connect on the network which is in any way close to the Card Holder Data should have their own unique ID. The reasoning behind this is that everyone has to be accountable for their actions.All run commands need to be logged and the administrators should know exactly who ran them. In the case of an em ergency or an issue, it will be well documented who caused said issues.Restrict Physical Access to Card Holder DataThe Systems or nodes which are used to connect to the Card Holder data or the ones that actually store it need to be physically protected. By using CCTV Cameras, doubled fences, Mantraps, Biometrics, etc. We make sure that access is on a need to know basis.Track Monitor all Access to the Network Card Holder DataMonitoring is one of the main ways to make sure that you have complete control of your traffic and general access. In order to have a comprehensive list of users or applications that have tried to contact the locations of the Card Holder Data you need monitoring tools and proper logging in place.Logs are a great way to provide you with evidence of what is happening and where it has already happened. By constantly monitoring all critical servers and services, companies are making sure they have a good foothold in what is happening inside their infrastructure.Reg ularly Test Systems ComponentsThis part is more inclined to Penetration Testing. Companies usually hire Penetration Testers to regularly check their Security Perimeter. This is done either Quarterly as Vulnerability Scanning or Annually as Full Blown Penetration Testing.The client wants everything connected or relevant to the Card Holder Data to be tested, basically all of the parameters that we have said are in place, now are, well, put to the test.The penetration tester will usually have a Final Report where they will explain all of the shortcomings which the client needs to have fixed within a given deadline before an auditor comes. If everything has been properly fixed, the company is certified for PCI DSS.Maintain a Policy that Addresses Information Security for All PersonnelThis point is more or less focused on the executive management rather than technical points. Basically this is where the management of the policies and paperwork come in to play. To comply with this point, the company must publish and maintain a good Security Policy which is reviewed annually and updated depending on needed changes.Aside from this, a Risk Assessment process is also implemented in order to identify threats and measure them accordingly. All personnel should also have clearly defined positions and tasks that they should carry out.It should never be left to ad hoc choices, instead it should be perfectly documented as to who is doing what and more importantly who is responsible if anything happens.We went through all of the 12 Requirements for PCI DSS and as such are now a little more knowledgeable on the subject. As it is mentioned in each one, it is vital for everything to be properly managed, documented and established.Doing things in a way that will jeopardize these requirements by usually cutting corners or costs is a full proof way to get denied PCI DSS Status.These points are there for a reason. Each has its place and meaning.RE-CERTIFICATIONAlthough going through such rigorous testing would make most people believe that it is a one time thing, actually PCI DSS needs annual re-certification.Security is a maintained process, technology moves fast and upkeep is needed as within any environment.As we mentioned earlier, audits are needed in order to confirm the validity of the security perimeter previously set in place. The auditor in question does the same validity checks as before, but this time with a bit more accent on the higher class issues from last time.The same format is upheld as well the second time around, checks by means of Penetration Testing are done, security measures are analyzed and documentation is reviewed. It is vital to mention that the auditor in this stage has the power to revoke the PCI DSS certificate if they seem fit to do so.This however does not come quick, even if inefficiencies are found in the infrastructure, usually the auditor has to give the company in question a decent period to fix all of the findings in order to get re-certified. Of course if results are not delivered within the given time frame, then sanctions such as revocation of PCI DSS Certification is undertaken.Though through constant vigilance and upkeep, companies can have a fairly easy re-certification process. If throughout the year, since as we mentioned, re-certification comes annually most times, have kept up their guard and went with all of the best practices everything should run smoothly.CONCLUSIONGetting PCI DSS Certified is no easy task. Usually it requires tremendous amounts of effort from many fields and many divisions inside a company. IT Staff have to talk to Managers, C-Suite has to develop proper strategies and so on.But ultimately, having PCI DSS Status is worth it, because it shows that you went through all of this trouble just so that your end users are safe and that gives a sense of security to all that use your services or products.

The Theory Of Employment Inequality - 879 Words

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The Effects of World War Two Essay - 1124 Words

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The Picture of Dorian Gray Vocabulary List Free Essays

The Picture of Dorian Gray Vocabulary List 1 (Q2) Precis (noun): Make summary of. â€Å"I know she goes in for giving a rapid precis of all her guests. † (Pg. We will write a custom essay sample on The Picture of Dorian Gray Vocabulary List or any similar topic only for you Order Now 14) Ravelled (verb): To tangle or entangle. â€Å"†How horribly unjust of you! † cried Lord Henry, tilting his hat back and looking up at the little clouds that, like ravelled skeins of glossy white silk, were drifting across the hollowed turquoise of the summer sky. † (Pg. 15) Candour (noun): The state or quality of being frank, open, and sincere in speech or expression; candidness. All the candour of youth was there, as well as all youth’s passionate purity. † (Pg. 26) Sovereignty (noun): Rightful status, independence, or prerogative. â€Å"It has its divine right of sovereignty. † (Pg. 35) Hedonism (noun): Doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the highest good. â€Å"A new Hedonism–that is what our century wants. † (Pg. 36) Staccato (adjective): Shortened or detached when played or sung. â€Å"Suddenly the painter appeared at the door of the studio and made staccato signs for them to come in. † (Pg. 37) Caprice (noun): Sudden, unpredictable change, as of one’s mind or the weather. The only difference between a caprice and a lifelong passion is that the caprice lasts a little longer. † (Pg. 38) Vermillion (noun): A bright red, to reddish-orange color. â€Å"†It is quite finished,† he cried at last, and stooping down he wrote his name in long vermilion letters on the left-hand corner of the canvas. † (Pg. 38) Panegyric (noun): Formal or elaborate praise. â€Å"Then had come Lord Henry Wotton with his strange panegyric on youth, his terrible warning of its brevity. † (Pg. 40) Wizen (verb): To wither; shrivel up; dry up. Yes, there would be a day when his face would be wrinkled and wizen, his eyes dim and colourless, the grace of his figure broken and deformed. † (Pg. 40) Divan (noun): A sofa or couch, with no arms or back, often usable as a bed. â€Å"The hot tears welled into his eyes; he tore his hand away and, flinging himself on the divan, he buried h is face in the cushions, as though he was praying. † (Pg. 42) Hansom (noun): A low-hung, two-wheeled, covered vehicle drawn by one horse, for two passengers, with the driver being mounted on an elevated seat behind and the reins running over the roof. â€Å"Come, Mr. Gray, my hansom is outside, and I can drop you at your own place. Good-bye, Basil. It has been a most interesting afternoon. † -Lord Henry (Pg. 48) Indolence (adjective): Disliking work or effort; lazy; idle. â€Å"His father had been our ambassador at Madrid when Isabella was young and Prim unthought of, but had retired from the diplomatic service in a capricious moment of annoyance on not being offered the Embassy at Paris, a post to which he considered that he was fully entitled by reason of his birth, his indolence, the good English of his dispatches, and his inordinate passion for pleasure. (Pg. 49) Collieries (noun): A coal mine, including all buildings and equipment. â€Å"He paid some attention to the management of his collieries in the Midland counties, excusing himself for this taint of industry on the ground that the one advantage of having coal was that it enabled a gentleman to afford the decency of burning wood on his own hearth. † (Pg. 49) Cheroot (noun): A cigar having open ends. â€Å"When Lord Henry entered the room, he found his uncle sitting in a rough shooting-coat, smoking a cheroot and grumbling over The Times. (Pg. 49) Facile (adjective): Moving, acting, working, proceeding, etc. , with ease, sometimes with superficiality. â€Å"He invented a facile excuse, and having taken the vacant seat next to her, looked round to see who was there. † (Pg. 57) Liveried (adjective): Clad in livery as servants. â€Å"At last, liveried in the costume of the age, reality entered the room in the shape of a servant to tell the duchess that her carriage was waiting. † (Pg. 65) Expound (verb): To explain; interpret. Some day, when you are tired of London, come down to Treadley and expound to me your philosophy of pleasure over some admirable Burgundy I am fortunate enough to possess. † (Pg. 67) Cosmopolitan (noun): A person who is free from local, provincial, or national bias or attachment; citizen of the world. â€Å"Make s it quite cosmopolitan, doesn’t it? You have never been to any of my parties, have you, Mr. Gray? † (Pg. 71) Brocade (noun): Fabric woven with an elaborate design, esp. one having a raised overall pattern. â€Å"I went to look after a piece of old brocade in Wardour Street and had to bargain for hours for it. † (Pg. 72) How to cite The Picture of Dorian Gray Vocabulary List, Essay examples

The Arm Of The Starfish Essay Research free essay sample

The Arm Of The Starfish Essay, Research Paper The Arm of the Starfish The rubric of this book is The Arm of the Starfish. It was written by Madeleine L Engle. She named it The Arm of the Starfish, because Dr. O Keefe is analyzing starfish. Humans and Starfish are closely related and Dr. O Keefe is seeing if because sea star can regrow limbs possibly worlds can excessively. The scene of this narrative is in many topographic points in Portugal. Some of the topographic points in Portugal are Lisbon, Madrid, and Gaea. It is set in the present clip and during the summer. The supporter or chief character of this book is Adam Eddington. He is 16, close 17. He is non use to being on his ain. He is a great Marine biological science pupil. He grew up in New York, and worked with a scientist, Dr. Didymus, until Dr. Didymus sent him to work for Dr. We will write a custom essay sample on The Arm Of The Starfish Essay Research or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page O Keefe. He is now traveling to Gaea to work for Dr. O Keefe. The adversary of this book is Typhon Cutter. He s at a high topographic point with the Embassy. He is really curiously shaped, with a big organic structure and really scraggy weaponries. Adam and others describe him as a spider. He has a girl, Carolyn Cutter, who is really beautiful, but isn Ts such a big enemy to Adam. She works for her male parent, until she finds out he is working against the Embassy. Adam Eddington was traveling to a little island in Portugal, Gaea, to work for Dr. O Keefe, an acclaimed scientist. At the airdrome, he meets a miss named Kali. She tells him to watch out for Canon Tallis and Dr. O’Keefe. He meets Canon Tallis and Poly, Dr. O Keefe s girl, and they become friends. Canon Tallis has to go forth so he leaves Poly to travel to Gaea with Adam. Adam loses Poly. He goes on to Lisbon and meets Kali. Kali brings him to run into her male parent Typhon Cutter. He has Poly and gives her dorsum to him. He so meets Joshua Archer, a adult male who works at the embassy. He learns from Joshua that Dr. O Keefe is non bad, he is working for the Embassy. He is now forced to take, between Dr. O Keefe and Kali Cutter, between a scientist working for his state, and a beautiful miss, whose male parent is working against his state. Adam goes to Gaea, and sees all the work Dr. O Keefe is making. After believing, Adam chooses Dr. O Keefe. He starts working for Dr O Keefe, and besides against Mr. Cutter. He helps Dr. O Keefe lead Mr. Cutter in the incorrect way by giving him bogus documents and research. He besides got the existent documents to the Ambassador, even though unhappily, Joshua was killed. Adam continued his occupation with Dr. O Keefe for the remainder of the summer. I would urge The Arm of the Starfish to anyone. I would because it was really electrifying and entertaining. This is a really good book for person who likes escapades. On a graduated table of one to ten I would give this book a nine.

Free Essays on High School Violence

Will Extreme Measures at High Schools Stop Teen Violence? Presented By: Brian Fisher, Jude Gentsch, Sharon McElmeel, Lacy Schilkofski Table of Contents SUMMARY 4 PURPOSE 5 SCOPE 6 LIMITATIONS 6 JUSTIFICATIONS 6 RELATED PUBLICATIONS 7 PRESENT STUDY 9 INTERVIEW INFORMATION 10 THE CHANGING AMERICAN SCHOOLS 10 THREAT OF TEEN VIOLENCE 11 PROBLEMS BEGINNING AT HOME 12 TEENAGERS LEARNING VIOLENCE 13 VIOLENCE FROM THE MEDIA 13 GUNS IN AMERICAN SOCIETY 14 DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE AND TEEN VIOLENCE 15 GANGS AND VIOLENCE 15 MEASURES TO ENSURE SCHOOL SAFETY 16 METAL DETECTORS IN THE SCHOOL 16 WARNING SIGNS OF A TROUBLED CHILD 17 CONCLUSIONS 17 RECOMMENDATIONS 17 WORKS CITED 19 Memorandum To: Mr. Koehl and Mrs. Hovey From: Group #1 Date: 4/8/2003 Re: Memo of Transmittal The following report is the written portion of an overall English and Business Communication presentation. This report is a requirement for the class. The topic covered is school safety. Jude Gentsch, Brian Fisher, Lacy Schilkofski, and Sharon McElmeel researched this topic of school safety different ways. Various sources including the Internet, library books, and current magazines were used to gain information for the report. Each group member interviewed at least two people. Persons interviewed include Normal Community High School's Officer Jeff Caughron, Dr. Alan Chapman, and Mr. Dotzert. Students were also interview to understand what the student population believes is good or bad about the safety of NCHS. The information collected was used for this report and presentation. It is our hope through this report that anyone who wants to know about how safe NCHS is that they can find out by reading or watching our presentation. Summary We intend to show our attendees that outside factors are the cause of teen violence in school. Our group believes that drastic measures inside school will not curb school viol... Free Essays on High School Violence Free Essays on High School Violence Will Extreme Measures at High Schools Stop Teen Violence? Presented By: Brian Fisher, Jude Gentsch, Sharon McElmeel, Lacy Schilkofski Table of Contents SUMMARY 4 PURPOSE 5 SCOPE 6 LIMITATIONS 6 JUSTIFICATIONS 6 RELATED PUBLICATIONS 7 PRESENT STUDY 9 INTERVIEW INFORMATION 10 THE CHANGING AMERICAN SCHOOLS 10 THREAT OF TEEN VIOLENCE 11 PROBLEMS BEGINNING AT HOME 12 TEENAGERS LEARNING VIOLENCE 13 VIOLENCE FROM THE MEDIA 13 GUNS IN AMERICAN SOCIETY 14 DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE AND TEEN VIOLENCE 15 GANGS AND VIOLENCE 15 MEASURES TO ENSURE SCHOOL SAFETY 16 METAL DETECTORS IN THE SCHOOL 16 WARNING SIGNS OF A TROUBLED CHILD 17 CONCLUSIONS 17 RECOMMENDATIONS 17 WORKS CITED 19 Memorandum To: Mr. Koehl and Mrs. Hovey From: Group #1 Date: 4/8/2003 Re: Memo of Transmittal The following report is the written portion of an overall English and Business Communication presentation. This report is a requirement for the class. The topic covered is school safety. Jude Gentsch, Brian Fisher, Lacy Schilkofski, and Sharon McElmeel researched this topic of school safety different ways. Various sources including the Internet, library books, and current magazines were used to gain information for the report. Each group member interviewed at least two people. Persons interviewed include Normal Community High School's Officer Jeff Caughron, Dr. Alan Chapman, and Mr. Dotzert. Students were also interview to understand what the student population believes is good or bad about the safety of NCHS. The information collected was used for this report and presentation. It is our hope through this report that anyone who wants to know about how safe NCHS is that they can find out by reading or watching our presentation. Summary We intend to show our attendees that outside factors are the cause of teen violence in school. Our group believes that drastic measures inside school will not curb school viol...

How to be your own boss

How to be your own boss If you’ve ever had a job with a boss, you’ve probably had at least one of these thoughts at some point, especially on frustrating days: â€Å"I could be the boss, and do it better.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Why don’t I do that?†And there are a few different ways to â€Å"do that.† One is to rise through the ranks, being a rockstar and getting promoted until get to that place where you’re in charge (though you’ll likely still be accountable to some level of management no matter what). The other way, the true independence route, is to say goodbye to working for others, and go into business for yourself. It’s not the easiest career path, or for everyone, but if this is truly your goal then we can help you figure out how to get started.Are you truly ready?Being your own boss sounds great, but if you’re not in a personal space where you’re mature or capable enough (yet) to handle the potentially large demands of running your own bus iness, it’s important to be honest about that up front. Management consultant Steve Tobak recommends starting with an honest assessment of how you are as an employee to see how well you might function in a situation where you’re depending on yourself to get everything done. For example, people who focus on responsibilities over branding and who seek achievements over power will likely be more successful when it comes time to assume responsibility for every aspect of a business. If you’re seeking to become your own boss just to be a boss (and not necessarily to take on additional responsibility), then this career change might not be the right move for you right now.It comes down to your personal temperament as well. If you do better when given a particular set of goals and benchmarks by someone else, you might struggle a bit when you need to generate those yourself. Or if you struggle with discipline and keeping on task during the workday, there’s a risk t hat the lack of outside constraints may feed your worst tendencies to procrastinate. Definitely ask yourself questions like:How do I respond to high-pressure situations?Do I get angry or upset easily?How effectively do I organize my to-do list and manage my time?How do I set boundaries in my life between work and personal space?Creating your own business requires a lot of honesty about your goals and your reality, as well as a lot of good old-fashioned hustle, since you don’t have the framework of an established company to handle things for you. You’re about to be the boss, but you’re also about to be Human Resources, the CFO, the IT department, and the one on the hook for every business decision. If that level of responsibility makes you a little queasy at this point, then maybe it’s best to table the idea for now and revisit in the future. But if you’re still thinking â€Å"bring it,† it’s time to start formulating your business pla n.Design a plan.Your next step should be deciding explicitly what it is you’ll be doing in your entrepreneurial business. Branding is great, but it comes later. The core business has to come first, so a solid plan is essential in making the decision to go rogue. Ask yourself these questions:What kind of service or product are you providing?Who will be your customers?What are you promising to those customers?What sets you apart from potentially similar vendors competing for the same customers?What are your short- and long-term goals for the business?What strategies do you have to achieve those goals?If you need help coming up with a business plan, there are a number of free and premium services online that can help you craft it, like LivePlan or Microsoft’s Dynamics 365. Every new business is a leap of faith, but you put yourself in a better position with the more information you have about your target audience, your market, and how you plan to develop your business bas ed on the market.Do a test run.Before you take the leap, think about doing a â€Å"soft launch† by creating your business as a side hustle, or a part-time commitment. This is a way of figuring out if this is the right path for you before you’ve committed fully to the idea of ditching your current path for the new one. Plus, it lets you start building a customer base and getting a real sense of what the market is really like- information that will be invaluable when you get to planning to do this full-time. Take a set amount of time to work on your business part-time, and then re-evaluate whether it makes sense to take it full-time. Sure, you’ll be in for a busy few months while you’re working on both, but consider it an essential research process to test the viability of your plan.Consider the money.Before you do anything drastic like quitting your current job, it’s important to do your homework on some baseline financial issues. Finances are an in credibly important consideration here- after all, this is your livelihood. And you’ll be the one writing the paychecks, so there’s not a lot of room for error here if you want to be able to keep your personal finances afloat. Gather your personal financial records and your favorite calculator, because it’s time to answer some brutally honest questions:Are there startup costs associated with your business idea? Will you need to buy specialized equipment or technology? Will you need to buy or rent a workspace? How much money would you need to have up front just to get started?What are the week-to-week operating costs?How long are you able to go without a paycheck, if your business is slow to develop? Do you have enough savings to get you by?Will you need to hire employees or contractors, or will it just be you? If it’s the latter, what can you afford to pay them?It may be that after your financial analysis, you find you aren’t quite ready to quit you r job and go it alone just yet. And that’s okay- it gives you more time to plan, set goals, and lay the groundwork for your business. What’s not quite right for now be much more viable in a year or two.Decide who’s on your team.Another essential element is your support network. Your company may be just you at first, and that’s a lot of pressure. What friends or family do you have in place to help provide a balance for that? Do you have people you trust who can listen to you and help you talk through decisions and provide valuable feedback?You should also start building your network in general, both using online social networks like LinkedIn and joining professional associations in your field. There are also organizations that specifically support small business owners, so you should do a little digging online to see if there are any specific to your field or your state/city/town.Build your brand.Self-marketing is going to be one of the best tools you have at your disposal as you get started with a new business. Creating dedicated social media profiles (apart from your personal ones) on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and whatever-platform-comes-next is a no-brainer. And make sure you stay engaged in those accounts, posting new content and updating the world on your achievements, expertise, and services.You’ll also need a website- ideally, one designed professionally. There are lots of hosting services that also help you build your sleek, functional site. This is not a job for your cousin’s friend’s roommate who wants to test out his design skills. Once you have your own URL and platform, you can use a blog, photo gallery, portfolio, and email to do outreach to potential customers.Get ready to make the transition.This is not the time for burning bridges, so you need to think about a careful transition from your current job to your entrepreneurship. This is especially true if your new company will be in th e same field. People talk, and other people who make ugly exits will be talked about. No matter how disgruntled you may be in your current gig, it’s important to exit gracefully. That means figuring out a timetable for quitting (potentially more than the standard two weeks) to figure out how to disentangle from your job. You may also want to consider asking your current boss if you can go part-time for a transition period. If that’s not an option, then a traditional exit is fine. You’ll need to give notice, and write a resignation letter. You don’t have to explicitly say what you’re doing next- â€Å"pursuing new opportunities† covers it.During this transition period, you should also see if there’s any fine print in your employment contract about pursuing clients or competitive job opportunities. Some companies have a â€Å"non-compete† clause that tries to limit what former employees can do in the same field.So what do you thi nk? Are you ready to make the transition from employee to boss? Or if not right now, is it something you can see in the near-ish future? We wish you all the best, entrepreneurs, and would love to hear what’s worked for you (and what hasn’t) in pursuit of being your own boss.