Compliance & Regulation
At IPS, we help you meet the latest PCI DSS 4.0 standards, ensuring your payment systems are secure and compliant. Our expert solutions include rigorous assessments, enhanced security measures, and ongoing support to protect cardholder data and reduce risk. Achieve seamless PCI compliance with IPS, prioritizing data protection and regulatory assurance.
Released in March 2022, PCI DSS 4.0 builds upon previous versions by introducing a more flexible and risk-centric approach. It empowers organizations to prioritize security controls based on their unique environment, emphasizing continuous improvement and a tailored security program.
Key changes in PCI DSS 4.0 include:
- Focus on Outcomes: The emphasis shifts from merely adhering to prescriptive controls to achieving measurable security objectives.
- Enhanced Prioritization: Organizations can prioritize control implementation based on a comprehensive risk assessment.
- Emphasis on Defense-in-Depth: A layered security approach, incorporating diverse controls, is encouraged to create a resilient defense against potential threats.
Network penetration testing is an integral part of the risk-based approach in PCI DSS 4.0, ensuring that all network segments and systems are thoroughly evaluated for vulnerabilities.
All merchants and service providers that store, transmit, or process payment card information are required to be PCI DSS compliant. As such, businesses fitting these descriptions should be highly vigilant about the changes that will take effect once PCI DSS version 3.2.1 is retired and replaced by version 4.0.
Organizations with extensive payment ecosystems must carefully review the significant updates in PCI DSS 4.0 before it takes effect. This review period is crucial to allow adequate time to transition and prepare for an audit. Security and risk governance leaders will observe a key trend between PCI DSS 3.2.1 and PCI DSS 4.0: practices previously considered best practices are now becoming mandatory requirements, raising the stakes for all affected parties.
PCI-DSS Penetration Testing Requirements
For instance, our services have helped hundreds of organizations comply with the PCI-DSS during, subsequently, yearly pretesting requirements:
PCI DSS Requirement 6.1
Consequently, establish a process analogous to identifying security vulnerabilities to get a secure network. Likewise, in your internal and external applications, that is to say, by using reputable outside sources for security vulnerability information security, after that, assign a risk ranking (for example, as ‘high,’ ‘medium,’ or ‘low’) to newly discovered security vulnerabilities.
PCI DSS Requirement 6.2
Firstly, ensure that all software and system components are protected from known vulnerabilities, consequently, by installing the applicable security patches provided by the supplier. Above all, you must install the patches within the first month following their release.
PCI DSS Requirement 11.3.1
Also perform external penetration tests at least once a year and after all significant changes or upgrades to the infrastructure / application (for example, additionally upgrading the system, adding a subnet or web server to the environment, etc.).
PCI DSS Requirement 11.3.2
Accordingly perform internal penetration tests at least once a year and after any change or accordingly upgrade significant infrastructure or the application (for example, consequently upgrade of the operating system or adding a subnet or web server in the environment).
PCI DSS Requirement 11.3.3
As a result vulnerabilities found during the penetration tests must be fixed and additional testing must be performed until the identified vulnerabilities have been successfully corrected.
PCI DSS Requirement 11.3.4
If segmentation is used to isolate the CDE from another secure network, then penetration tests must be performed less than once a year and following modification of the methods/controls of segmentation to verify that the segmentation methods are operational and effective.
IPS’s comprehensive approach to PCI-DSS penetration testing ensures that your organization is not only compliant but also well-protected against evolving cyber threats. Trust IPS to safeguard your payment card data and reinforce your commitment to security excellence.
Identify and Mitigate Vulnerabilities
At IPS, our PCI-DSS penetration testing is designed to rigorously identify and address vulnerabilities in your payment card systems. This process involves simulating real-world attacks to uncover weaknesses that could be exploited by malicious actors. By proactively identifying these vulnerabilities, IPS helps you implement effective security measures, reducing the risk of data breaches and ensuring the protection of sensitive payment information.
Ensure Compliance and Avoid Penalties
Compliance with PCI-DSS standards is critical for any organization handling payment card information. IPS’s penetration testing services ensure that your systems meet these stringent requirements. Our thorough testing and detailed reporting provide the evidence needed to demonstrate compliance to regulatory bodies, helping you avoid costly penalties and maintain your standing with payment card industry regulators.
Enhance Trust and Customer Confidence
By partnering with IPS for your PCI-DSS penetration testing, you not only secure your systems but also enhance trust with your customers. Knowing that you adhere to rigorous security standards gives your customers confidence that their payment information is safe with you. This trust is essential for maintaining customer loyalty and can be a significant competitive advantage in the marketplace.
There is an overwhelming amount of information to decipher when it comes to PCI compliance. If you can’t find the answer to your question below, don’t hesitate to ask an expert.
Our services are specifically designed to ensure that you meet PCI-DSS requirements efficiently, without any guessing games. We provide evidence through a technical report and an official attestation that you have identified and successfully fixed any exploitable vulnerabilities within your card processing systems and external infrastructure. This allows your organization to comply with PCI-DSS 6.x and 11.3.x requirements.
The cost of a PCI penetration test varies significantly according to the scope of your cardholder data environment (CDE). Therefore, there is no fixed price range for this type of assessment. To find out how much your penetration test would cost, reach out to our specialists to get a free quote.
Manual penetration tests and fully automated scanners are the most common techniques to identify and fix cybersecurity vulnerabilities within your technologies, allowing you to meet Requirements 6 and 11. While scans can be a great starting point for those who lack resources for manual testing, they may not be sufficient to comply with PCI due to their automated nature. Only experienced professionals should rely on scans to become PCI compliant, as these tools may fail to identify every vulnerability that could compromise your CDE, leaving your card-processing systems vulnerable.
Our specialists take various steps to prevent any potential impact of our tests on the stability of your technological environment and the continuity of your business operations. Unless specifically instructed, we refrain from performing disruptive attacks, such as causing a denial of service. Most of our clients are unable to perceive any impact of our tests due to the rigorous measures we deploy to conduct our projects as seamlessly as possible.
According to PCI-DSS standards, merchants and providers are permitted to store cardholder data once they become compliant. Some acquirers may permit the storage of sensitive authentication data but only prior to payment authorization.