E-commerce platform Four51 has achieved the Level 1 Payment Card Industry compliance as a service provider. The Four51network connects buyers, distributors and suppliers of indirect goods such as printed materials, promotional products and office supplies. The Level 1 PCI compliance allows for third-party verification of the security of the transactions which are processed on the Four51 network.

As a PCI compliant credit card processing service provider, Four51 must follow a standard set of twelve security practices, including the installation of a firewall configuration to protect data, encrypting the transmission of cardholder data and sensitive information on public networks, restricting access to data by business need-to-know. Four51 is also required to assign a unique ID to each person with computer access and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data.

The PCI Data Security Standard is managed by the Cardholder Information Security Program, which was developed to protect credit card data across all points of a transaction, ensuring that cardholders, merchants and service providers maintain the highest information security standards.

According to FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Centre study, US citizens reported USD 239 million caused by internet-based fraud in 2007.