Since the sunsetting of PCI DSS v3.2.1 on March 31, 2024, PCI DSS v4.0 has become effective, as have some of its new requirements (though future-dated requirements will be effective March 31, 2025). While v4.0 has introduced some major changes in various areas, for service providers—including some that include additional nuance for colocation providers in particular—multiple new requirements are now effective as well as some that are future-dated.

For those financial institutions involved in international transactions, compliance with the security requirements set forth by the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT)—otherwise known as its Customer Security Programme (CSP), which aims to better secure the global financial community against cyber threats. One part of the Programme includes the SWIFT Customer Security Controls Framework (CSCF), which was updated in 2024 and now mandates controls around the protection of outsourced critical activity.

As of June 11th, PCI DSS v4.0.1 was officially released. This update comes with several clarifications and adjustments to the previous version, ensuring more precise guidelines and addressing various implementation issues.

If you’re a newly hired CISO or Director for an organization that’s required to achieve and maintain PCI DSS, you may be wondering how and where you can get started so that you’re ready when it comes time for the assessment to begin.

In the intricate world of payment security, navigating the labyrinthine requirements of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) can feel like deciphering code. But for merchants using virtual payment terminals, the PCI DSS SAQ C-VT emerges as a beacon of hope that offers a simplified path towards compliance.

m;These days, to survive amidst the fierce competition of online commerce, merchants must prove they can safeguard sensitive cardholder data, and that means attaining and maintaining PCI compliance. And while the Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) A is often considered one of the more appealing routes to achieving that compliance, PCI DSS v4.0 has added new requirements to the SAQ A regarding Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV) scans.

Incident response has always been an important component of PCI DSS—in Requirement 12.10, the standard provides critical guidelines for the timeliness, preparedness, and continuous improvement of incident response management. That being said, new related requirements and clarifications have been introduced under v4.0 that add complexity and effort to the mandates from v3.2.1.

In the world of digital transactions and data security, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) serves as a crucial framework that ensures organizations handling payment card data maintain robust security measures. However, performing and passing PCI DSS assessments when you’ve deployed a Zero Trust Environment creates unique opportunities that challenge conventional notions of scope.