What is PCI DSS and Its 12 Requirements to Comply?

What is PCI DSS Certification?

PCI DSS certification refers to complying with several specific requirements and standards designed to ensure the secure handling of payment card data. The current version of the PCI DSS is PCI DSS v4.0.

PCI DSS Requirement for Security Threats

Cybercriminals actively target digital transactions containing credit card data, and PCI DSS attempts to reduce such evolving security risks. These threats include:

Cardholder Data Theft

Threat: Unauthorized access to cardholder data while it's being processed, stored, or transferred.

PCI DSS Requirement: When transmitting cardholder data over open, public networks, ensure data is encrypted.

Malware and Viruses

Threat: Malicious software with the ability to steal cardholder data and jeopardize system security.

PCI DSS Requirement: Utilize antivirus software and update it regularly.

Phishing Attacks

Threat: Attempts made fraudulently to assume the identity of reliable organizations to obtain sensitive data.

PCI DSS Requirement: Establish policies in place to protect against phishing attempts, such as training and awareness campaigns for employees.

Weak Authentication

Threat: Inadequate authentication methods that may lead to unauthorized access.

PCI DSS Requirement: Use strong authentication methods, such as multi-factor authentication, to protect system access.

Unsecured Network

Threat: Weaknesses in network security that can be exploited to gain unauthorized access.

PCI DSS Requirement: Regularly monitor and test networks and implement security measures like firewalls to protect cardholder data.

Insufficient Logging and Monitoring

Threat: Inability to promptly detect and respond to security incidents.

PCI DSS Requirement: Implement robust logging and monitoring systems to track and alert security events.

Considerations for Organizations

Tokenization

Tokenization can be used to reduce the risk involved with maintaining actual card data by substituting non-sensitive tokens for sensitive cardholder data.

Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE)

From the point of interaction, such as a card swipe, until it reaches the payment processor, use P2PE to encrypt card data.

Regular Audits and Risk Assessments

Conduct security audits and risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities and ensure PCI DSS compliance.

Types of PCI Compliance

The PCI DSS security standards are implemented by an alliance of major credit card organizations, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, and Discover, to ensure that every organization that accepts credit cards does so in a secure environment. Your organization may be classified into one of four PCI categories based on the annual volume of card transactions you process:

PCI Level 1: Businesses processing over 6 million transactions per year

PCI Level 2: Businesses processing 1 million to 6 million transactions per year

PCI Level 3: Businesses processing 20,000 to 1 million transactions per year

PCI Level 4: Businesses processing less than 20,000 transactions per year

PCI DSS Assessment & Ensuring PCI DSS Compliance

Organizations must go through several phases and activities in the PCI DSS assessment process to ensure PCI DSS compliance. The following essential components are usually included in the process:

Determine the Scope

Each system and procedure that handles, transmits, stores, or processes sensitive authentication data (SAD) and cardholder data (CHD) must be identified and recorded. Additionally, the cardholder data environment (CDE) must be determined to accurately assess the scope of PCI DSS compliance.

Understand PCI DSS Requirements

Get familiar with the PCI DSS standard's 12 core requirements and accompanying sub-requirements, and recognize the specific security controls and practices that are essential to meet each requirement.

Identify Applicable SAQ or ROC

SAQ types differ according to the processing, storing, and sending of cardholder data methods. Identify the relevant Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) or, in the case of Level 1 merchants, submit a Report on Compliance (ROC) evaluation.

Perform a Gap Analysis

Examine your organization’s security controls with PCI DSS requirements to identify any vulnerabilities in the current security framework.

Implement Remediation Actions

To comply with PCI DSS requirements, patch identified gaps by implementing security controls and measures. Develop and implement a remediation strategy to resolve vulnerabilities and enhance security.

Security Policy Development

Create security policies and procedures that align with PCI DSS requirements, document them, and ensure employees receive adequate training.

Regularly Monitor Systems

Establish a system for routine security testing and vulnerability assessments, as well as methods for continuous monitoring to identify and resolve security events swiftly.

Conduct SAQ or ROC Assessment

Conduct the SAQ or ROC assessment in compliance with the specified parameters and relevant laws.

Submit Compliance Reports

Provide the acquiring bank and card brands with the completed SAQ or ROC and any necessary supporting documentation. Assure prompt submission and adherence to reporting requirements.

Address Non-Compliance Issues

Establish and execute plans to identify and resolve any non-compliance concerns and collaborate with the QSA or Internal Security Assessor (ISA) to validate remediation efforts.

Maintain Documentation

Maintain accurate records of all security assessments, processes, policies, and remediation activities. These records would also come in handy for audit purposes and demonstrating ongoing compliance.

Continuous Compliance Monitoring

Establish procedures for continuous security control testing, monitoring, and evaluation. Additionally, to handle new threats and landscape changes, evaluate and update security measures on a regular basis.

Engage with Payment Card Brands

Keep track of compliance status by communicating with acquiring banks and payment card companies and respond to the credit card companies' requirements for more details or actions.

Renew and Reassess Annually

Reevaluate and validate compliance with PCI DSS requirements to renew the compliance status.

12 PCI DSS Requirements

Build and Maintain a Secure Network and Systems

1. Install and Maintain Network Security Controls

Install and maintain network security controls by employing strong firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and encryption methods to prevent data breaches and cyberattacks.

2. Apply Secure Configurations to All System Components

Apply secure configurations to all system components by changing default passwords, eliminating unnecessary software, functionalities, and accounts, and deactivating or uninstalling unnecessary services to reduce the possibility of compromising the system.

Protect Account Data

3. Protect Stored Account Data

Protect stored account data using encryption, truncation, masking, and hashing. Employ risk-reduction strategies such as avoiding holding account information unless absolutely essential, truncating cardholder data when the entire PAN is not required, and refraining from providing unprotected PANs via end-user messaging platforms like email and instant messaging.

4. Protect Cardholder Data with Strong Cryptography During Transmission Over Open, Public Networks

Protect cardholder data using strong cryptography keys during transmission over open and public networks. This increases the likelihood of data secrecy, integrity, and non-repudiation. Any transmissions of cardholder data through a network that stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data are immediately subject to PCI DSS. Such networks must be evaluated and assessed to comply with the applicable PCI DSS regulations.

Maintain a Vulnerability Management Program

5. Protect All Systems and Networks from Malicious Software

To protect all systems and networks from malicious software, malicious software or firmware must be identified and eliminated. Examples of malicious software include viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, ransomware, keyloggers, rootkits, malicious code, scripts, and links.

6. Develop and Maintain Secure Systems and Software

Develop and maintain secure systems and software to prevent security vulnerabilities that can be exploited to gain privileged access to systems. Organizations must routinely update their software components via the necessary software patches to ensure no software intrusion.

Implement Strong Access Control Measures

7. Restrict Access to System Components and Cardholder Data by Business Need to Know

Restrict access to system components and cardholder data by business need-to-know to ensure that only authorized individuals gain access to data. These requirements apply to user accounts and access for employees, contractors, consultants, internal and external vendors, and other third parties.

8. Identify Users and Authenticate Access to System Components

Two fundamental principles of identifying and authenticating users are to establish the identity of an individual or process on a computer system and prove or verify the user associated with the identity is who the user claims to be.

The element used to prove or verify the identity is known as the authentication factor. Authentication factors include something you know, such as a password or passphrase; something you have, such as a token device or smart card; or something you are, such as a biometric element.

9. Restrict Physical Access to Cardholder Data

Restrict physical access to systems that store, process, or transmit cardholder data since it enables individuals to access and/or remove systems or hardcopies containing cardholder data.

Regularly Monitor and Test Networks

10. Log and Monitor All Access to System Components and Cardholder Data

Log and monitor all access to system components and cardholder data to prevent, identify, or mitigate the effects of a data compromise. Logs are present on every system component and in the Cardholder Data Environment (CDE), enabling full monitoring, notification, and analysis if something goes wrong. Without system activity logs, it is difficult, if not impossible, to identify the cause of a compromise.

11. Test the Security of Systems and Networks Regularly

To ensure that security policies continue to take into account the ever-evolving environment, system components, processes, and customized and custom software should all undergo regular testing.

Maintain an Information Security Policy

12. Support Information Security with Organizational Policies and Programs

The overall information security policy of the organization establishes the tone for the entire organization and specifies what is expected of the employees. Every employee should understand the sensitivity of cardholder data and the need for protection.

Challenges in Achieving PCI DSS Compliance

Organizations face several obstacles in their quest for PCI DSS compliance, including:

• For starters, it can be challenging to accurately assess the cardholder data environment's (CDE) extent, particularly in complex infrastructures;
• Resource restrictions, such as limited funding and a lack of specialized security personnel, impede essential security procedures;
• Ensuring PCI DSS compliance becomes more difficult as new payment methods are adopted and rapid technical advancements transpire;
• Managing and verifying third-party vendors' compliance;
• Ensuring employees are aware of the PCI DSS evolving requirements;
• Understanding the intricacies of tokenization and encryption;
• The dynamic threat landscape and disparities in international compliance;
• Understanding the varying incident response plans under global data privacy laws.

To overcome these challenges, organizations must actively engage in strategic planning, demonstrate PCI DSS compliance commitment by implementing required security measures, and utilize PCI DSS compliance to negotiate the complex landscape of credit card security regulations.

Consequences of PCI DSS Non-Compliance

Organizations that violate PCI DSS requirements may face dire repercussions, including:

Financial Penalties

There could be serious penalties from card companies and regulatory agencies. The fine amount depends on how serious the infraction was and how many cardholder data records were stolen.

Increased Transaction Costs

Organizations that do not comply may be subject to higher transaction costs and extra scrutiny by payment processors and acquiring banks. This could result in processing payments with higher operational costs.

Loss of Customer Trust

A non-compliance-related data breach may damage customer trust. Consumers may become less confident in the organization’s ability to protect their personal data, which could harm its reputation and result in lost revenue.

Legal Consequences

Non-compliance may initiate legal action, such as a lawsuit from impacted consumers, regulatory authorities, and payment card brands. Settling such lawsuits can drain an organization’s financial resources and dent its reputation.

Termination of Merchant Accounts

The merchant accounts of organizations that do not comply may be closed by acquiring banks and payment processors. Revenue streams may be impacted if this interferes with the company's capacity to accept credit card payments.

Mandatory Security Remediation

Regulatory agencies or payment card brands may require certain security remediation procedures. Organizations that don't comply may have to spend additional financial resources on security enhancements.

Data Breach Investigation Costs

If there is a data breach, the organization can be held liable for the expenses associated with investigating and remediating the incident. This entails conducting legal investigations, informing those impacted, and implementing remedial action plans.

Monitoring and Auditing Requirements

Regulatory agencies and credit card companies may beef up their monitoring and auditing of non-compliant organizations. This might strain internal resources and interfere with regular corporate operations.

Loss of Business Opportunities

Organizations that do not comply with PCI DSS compliance risk missing out on opportunities to work with other organizations that prioritize security since compliance is frequently a requirement for collaboration.

Difficulty Obtaining Insurance

Organizations may find it difficult to obtain cybersecurity insurance or may see higher premiums as a result of greater perceived risk if they do not comply with PCI DSS.

Recurring Non-Compliance Assessments

For non-compliant organizations, regulatory agencies and payment card companies may mandate more frequent and stringent compliance assessments, imposing a continuous cost on the firm.

Operational Disruptions

The costs and efficiency of an organization can be negatively impacted by remediation activities and the repercussions from non-compliance, which include legal complexities and customer resentment towards the organization.

Benefits of PCI Compliance

PCI DSS compliance significantly benefits organizations that process credit card transactions. These include:

Enhanced Security

Organizations can implement strong security measures designed to reduce vulnerabilities to safeguard sensitive payment card data, reducing data breaches, fraud, and other security risks.

Reduced Financial Liability

In the event of a data breach, non-compliance with PCI DSS may result in fines and penalties. Businesses can prevent these financial implications by achieving compliance.

Ensure Legal Compliance

PCI DSS compliance may be required by law in certain regions. Being PCI DSS compliant ensures that the company is in good legal standing, preventing unforeseen legal complexities.

Streamlined Operations

Optimizing data security practices is frequently necessary to ensure PCI DSS compliance, ultimately resulting in more cost-effective and effective operations.

Access to Payment Card Networks

Major card networks like Visa and MasterCard require PCI DSS compliance to process payments, enabling companies to process payments swiftly without interruptions.

Improved Reputation & Customer Trust

PCI DSS compliance demonstrates a commitment to security, which protects and enhances an organization’s reputation and improves customer trust.

Competitive Advantage

Compliance with PCI DSS gives your company a competitive edge over competitors who might not be compliant.

Conclusion

Industry leaders embrace and mandate merchant compliance as failure to comply with the PCI DSS can lead to security lapses and the loss of sensitive credit card data, which can result in severe penalties and other legal consequences.

It is imperative for organizations to determine what type and level of encryption exists in their systems today. With a lack of visibility, it is essential for organizations to embrace automation and gain a holistic view of their data.

Securiti Data Command Center can scan, classify and keep encryption types in a data graph that is continuously updated and auditable. That visibility generates a prioritized work list for risk inventories and remediation plans.

Request a demo now to learn how Securiti can help improve compliance with PCI DSS v4.0.