The final step!

The token is now stored in place of the original PAN, reducing the risk of data breaches and minimizing the exposure of sensitive payment card data. This is the ultimate goal of tokenization!

By storing the token instead of the PAN, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of:

1. Data breaches: Tokens are useless to attackers, as they cannot be reversed-engineered to obtain the original PAN.

2. Data theft: Even if a token is stolen, it cannot be used to access the sensitive payment card data.

3. Compliance risks: Tokenization helps organizations comply with regulations like PCI-DSS, GDPR, and HIPAA.

The token is stored in a secure token vault, which is designed to protect the tokens and ensure their integrity. The original PAN is never stored, making it much harder for attackers to access the sensitive data.

And that's the entire process! From PAN input to token storage, SHA-256 plays a crucial role in securing payment card data through tokenization.