If your business handles cardholder data via software applications and you have been compliant with the PA-DSS, you may be wondering how to keep it safe with the PCI SSF. Below, we’ll walk you through essential considerations for transitioning from the PA DSS to PCI SSF.
Understanding the New PCI Software Security Framework
The new PCI SSF framework is designed to help payment application developers and vendors secure sensitive PCI data as it is collected, processed, or transmitted. With rapid technological advancements, the new PCI software security framework streamlines the development of payment application software while mitigating security risks to customers’ sensitive data.
In this blog, we’ll explore the PA DSS to PCI SSF transition, focusing on:
- The difference between PA DSS and the PCI SSF
- Who is required to comply with the PCI SSF
- What businesses must know about the PA DSS to PCI SSF transition
- How to become PCI SSF-compliant
Compliance with the PCI SSF is best achieved when guided by a PCI compliance partner, who can help you navigate the PA DSS to PCI SSF transition from start to finish.
The Difference Between PA DSS and PCI SSF
The PCI SSF replaces the PA DSS and acts as a more robust, updated version geared at helping payment application developers, vendors, and businesses keep sensitive PCI data safe from threat risks. At its core, the PCI SSF builds upon many of the requirements listed in the PA DSS and expands them into a stronger and more standardized control framework.
Notably, the PCI SSF focuses on:
- Providing extensive support for payment application software development
- Keeping software testing transparent across the phases
- Enabling robust application software customization
- Improving the resilience of payment application software
Considering these benefits, your business will be better positioned to protect customers’ data by transitioning from the PA DSS to the PCI SSF.
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Who Does PCI SSF Apply To?
The PCI SSF applies to payment application developers, vendors, and retailers.
Developers are required to provide retailers or businesses with payment applications that are fully compliant with the PCI SSF standards, while vendors must ensure apps they sell do not compromise data security. Retailers or businesses that use payment applications on a day-to-day basis must also be educated on how to keep cardholder data (CHD) and sensitive authentication data (SAD) safe.
What Businesses Need to Know About the Transition From PA DSS to PCI SSF
Businesses must be prepared to transition their payment applications to the controls mandated by the PCI SSF. More importantly, businesses are responsible for securing their customers’ CHD and SAD from collection to processing and transmission to third parties or disposal.
The PA-DSS listing expiry date was in October 2022. Businesses are expected to have made the transition to complying with the PCI SSF.
When Should My Business Transition From PA DSS to PCI SSF?
Since the PA-DSS retirement is already here and considered the primary framework for guiding payment application security, your business should transition to the PCI SSF as soon as possible. Compliance with the latest version of the PCI SSF will ensure you have full protection from security threats.
Since most of the PA-DSS requirements were not up-to-date with current risks, it is crucial for businesses to mitigate data security risks with the transition to PCI SSF compliance.
Why Comply With PCI SSF
Compliance with the PCI SSF provides a broad set of security controls you can leverage to protect sensitive data at rest and in transit. These requirements are objective-based, meaning your business can choose to optimize the security controls it implements across its software assets. PCI SSF compliance will also keep your business protected from non-compliance fines and penalties. Should you experience a data breach, you will likely face significant legal, financial, and reputational consequences.
How to Meet PCI SSF Requirements
As with PCI DSS compliance, your business can meet the PCI SSF requirements by conducting an assessment of its current infrastructure.
It may be challenging to identify gaps and vulnerabilities in critical software assets until you evaluate each asset for compliance with required PCI SSF controls. For instance, the PCI compliance tokenization requirements provide recommendations for widely accepted, industry-standard technologies that will protect CHD and SAD at rest and in transit.
Failure to meet these requirements could impact sensitive PCI data security and increase the chances of data breaches.
The best way to meet the PCI SSF Requirements is to review them with a trusted PCI compliance partner who can walk you through each requirement and how best your business can implement its controls.
PCI SSF Advisory Services
Navigating PCI SSF compliance can seem challenging, especially when you don’t have the right resources or guidance. Partnering with a PCI SSF compliance advisor like RSI Security will help you keep track of compliance, prepare for audits, and remain PCI-compliant year-round.
Contact RSI Security today to learn more!
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Assess where your organization currently stands with being PCI DSS compliant by completing this checklist. Upon filling out this brief form you will receive the checklist via email.
