Compliance Standards

The Summary of Changes from PCI DSS v3.2.1 to v4.0 is an excellent resource for organizations getting started on their journey toward compliance. Key takeaways include:

The PCI DSS 4.0 roles and responsibilities are a critical part of compliance with the new Customized Approach. To use this alternative measure, assessed entities must meet certain implementation responsibilities before assessors generate formal reports to validate compliance.

There are three critical steps to taking advantage of the PCI DSS 4.0 Customized Approach:

• Identifying which requirements and controls you’ll use alternative methods to achieve
• Implementing cyberdefense mechanisms to safeguard the cardholder data environment
• Working with a PCI DSS assessor to report on and validate your controls for compliance

Understanding the full scope of when PCI 4.0 is required means comprehending:

• When the PCI DSS 4.0 release date was and how the transition to 4.0 started
• When PCI DSS 3.2.1 will be fully retired and replaced by PCI DSS v4.0
• When PCI DSS 4.0’s future-dated requirements come into effect
• When and how you should start preparing for PCI compliance

The PCI DSS 4.0 compensating controls and Customized Approach are two methods to validate compliance. The former is for requirements that can’t be met, and the latter is for meeting different objectives. Organizations can use either (or both) to optimize their compliance.

The PCI 4.0 requirements were made publicly available in March 2022. They cover most of the same ground as prior versions’ requirements, with special attention paid to common areas of security like risk mitigation and access control. Compliance requires implementing all PCI 4.0 requirements.

If your organization is preparing for PCI compliance for the first time since v4.0 was published, there are many factors you need to consider. This comprehensive PCI DSS 4.0 checklist accounts for the timeline, assessment protocols, requirement scope, and options for flexibility.