Key Takeaways
Prioritize Continuous Monitoring: Embedding PCI DSS into daily operations requires constantly monitoring security controls (like firewalls and access controls) to ensure they are functioning as intended. Proactive vigilance significantly reduces cybersecurity risks.
Manage Security Incidents Promptly: Any failure of a security control must be detected and responded to in a timely manner. It is vital to identify and address the cause of the incident and then use those lessons to enhance system monitoring effectiveness.
Proactively Review All Changes: Before implementing any changes to the security environment—such as new systems or network configurations—always conduct a formal review to determine the potential impact on your PCI DSS scope and compliance.
Easy Tips for Making PCI Compliance Part of Your Everyday Business Practice
So now that we’ve covered what PCI DSS is (in Part 1) and why it’s important for your business to be PCI compliant (in Part 2), it’s time to close out our PCI Primer blog series with easy tips for making PCI compliance part of your everyday business practice.
Building Good PCI Habits
Building good PCI habits is an important part of your overall security strategy! Making PCI compliance the norm at every level helps reduce your security risk, build trust with your customers, and keep your data processing secure.
Speak to a Compliance Specialist.
Examples of some ways that you could incorporate key PCI compliance activities could include:
- Monitoring your security controls (such as firewalls, anti-virus, or access controls) on a regular basis to ensure that they are working as intended. You don’t want to find out something wasn’t working correctly due to a cyberattack. Proactively monitoring PCI-related controls will help reduce your cybersecurity risks.
- Ensuring that any failure of a security control is detected and responded to in a timely manner. It is imperative to ensure that the cause of any security incident is identified and addressed – including any security issues that occur during the incident. After resuming monitoring of your security controls, you’ll want to take the lessons learned from any incident and potentially enhance your system monitoring to better ensure that your controls are operating effectively.
- Reviewing any changes to your business’ security environment prior to implementation to determine the potential impact to your PCI DSS scope and compliance. This could include the addition of new systems, or changes in your network configurations. Always ensure that system changes will be within PCI DSS guidelines before completion.
- Determining changes to your company’s organizational structure for any impact to your PCI DSS scope. You never know what the future might hold. If your company experiences an event such as a merger or an acquisition, you’ll need to conduct a formal review of your PCI DSS scope and requirements to ensure that your systems remain secure.
- Performing periodic reviews to ensure that your PCI DSS requirements are still in place and that your team is following secure processes. This type of review will also allow you to ensure that proper evidence is being maintained for your next compliance assessment – saving you time and money.
Source: PCI Security Standards Council, LLC | www.pcisecuritystandards.org
Auditwerx: A PCI Partner You Can Rely On
There are many more ways to ensure that PCI DSS compliance is part of your daily business practice at every level – that’s why it’s important to have a PCI partner that you can rely on. If you are ready for personalized PCI guidance, it’s time to contact an Auditwerx PCI specialist!
FAQs
What are the key strategies for making PCI DSS a daily business practice?
The five key strategies include regularly monitoring your security controls, promptly detecting and responding to security control failures, reviewing all business and system changes for compliance impact, and performing periodic reviews to ensure requirements are still met and secure processes are followed.
Why is it important to review business or network changes before they are implemented?
Reviewing changes—like adding new systems or altering network configurations—is critical to determine the potential impact on your PCI DSS scope. This step ensures that all system changes remain within PCI DSS guidelines and prevents your environment from falling out of compliance.
How does continuous monitoring of security controls help in day-to-day PCI compliance?
Continuous monitoring helps ensure that protective measures like anti-virus software or access controls are operating correctly, preventing the surprise discovery of a control failure during a cyberattack. This proactive approach is foundational to minimizing cybersecurity risks and maintaining compliance.
How can periodic internal reviews save time during a future compliance assessment?
Performing periodic reviews verifies that your PCI DSS requirements are actively being followed by your team and that proper evidence of control operation is being maintained. This practice ensures readiness for your next compliance assessment, which ultimately saves time and resources.
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