What will result from failing to protect unmasked Personal Account Numbers (PANs)?

Failing to protect unmasked Personal Account Numbers (PANs) directly leads to non-compliance with PCI Security Standards. These standards are established to protect cardholder data and ensure that proper security measures are in place when handling payment information. When organizations do not properly mask or encrypt PANs, they expose sensitive data to potential breaches, which is a violation of PCI compliance requirements.

Maintaining compliance is critical for organizations that process, store, or transmit payment card information. Non-compliance can result in severe repercussions, including fines, loss of merchant status, and damage to the organization’s reputation. This not only impacts the company but also undermines customer trust in the security of their financial data.

In contrast, the other options do not fundamentally relate to the consequences of failing to protect PANs. For example, increased user trust would not result because security lapses generally lead to decreased trust. Reduced transaction speed and extended system lifespan are also unrelated to the handling of unmasked PANs and do not address the requirements posed by PCI Security Standards.