Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards Practice Test

In which of the following locations would full track data most likely be found?

1. Audio recording of telephone-based purchases

2. Databases and log files from e-commerce servers

3. Forms completed for mail-order purchases

4. Databases and log files from point-of-sale terminals

The correct answer is: Databases and log files from point-of-sale terminals

Full track data refers to the complete information that can be found on a magnetic stripe of a payment card, such as the cardholder's name, account number, expiration date, and other sensitive details. This level of detailed card information is typically captured at the point of sale during a transaction. In point-of-sale terminals, full track data is stored when a card is swiped or inserted into the terminal for payment processing. These systems are designed to read the magnetic stripe and capture all the relevant data as part of the transaction process. The integrity and security of this data must be maintained, as it is crucial for transaction verification and fraud prevention. While other options may involve transaction information, they do not inherently involve the direct capture of full track data as seen in point-of-sale environments. For instance, audio recordings may capture conversations but not the raw data from the card, databases and log files from e-commerce servers do not typically include full track data as this information is not necessary during online transactions, and forms for mail-order purchases usually require manual entry of information without retaining the magnetic stripe data. Therefore, point-of-sale terminals are indeed the most likely to contain full track data.