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4.1: All security policies and operational procedures that are identified in Requirement 4 are: (a) Documented, (b) Kept up to date, (c) In use, (d) Known to all affected parties.
  • Examine documentation and interview personnel to verify that security policies and operational procedures identified in Requirement 4 are managed in accordance with all elements specified in this requirement.
Description

Requirement 4.1.1

Purpose

Requirement 4.1.1 is about effectively managing and maintaining the various policies and procedures specified throughout Requirement 4. While it is important to define the specific policies or procedures called out in Requirement 4, it is equally important to ensure they are properly documented, maintained, and disseminated.

Good Practice

It is important to update policies and procedures as needed to address changes in processes, technologies, and business objectives. For these reasons, consider updating these documents as soon as possible after a change occurs and not only on a periodic cycle.

Definitions

Security policies define the entity's security objectives and principles. Operational procedures describe how to perform activities, and define the controls, methods, and processes that are followed to achieve the desired result in a consistent manner and in accordance with policy objectives.

Requirement 4.1.2

Purpose

If roles and responsibilities are not formally assigned, personnel may not be aware of their day-to-day responsibilities and critical activities may not occur.

Good Practice

Roles and responsibilities may be documented within policies and procedures or maintained within separate documents. As part of communicating roles and responsibilities, entities can consider having personnel acknowledge their acceptance and understanding of their assigned roles and responsibilities.

Examples

A method to document roles and responsibilities is a responsibility assignment matrix that includes who is responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed (also called a RACI matrix).

4.1: Roles and responsibilities for performing activities in Requirement 4 are documented, assigned, and understood.
  • Examine documentation to verify that descriptions of roles and responsibilities for performing activities in Requirement 4 are documented and assigned.
  • Interview personnel with responsibility for performing activities in Requirement 4 to verify that roles and responsibilities are assigned as documented and are understood.
Description

Requirement 4.1.1

Purpose

Requirement 4.1.1 is about effectively managing and maintaining the various policies and procedures specified throughout Requirement 4. While it is important to define the specific policies or procedures called out in Requirement 4, it is equally important to ensure they are properly documented, maintained, and disseminated.

Good Practice

It is important to update policies and procedures as needed to address changes in processes, technologies, and business objectives. For these reasons, consider updating these documents as soon as possible after a change occurs and not only on a periodic cycle.

Definitions

Security policies define the entity's security objectives and principles. Operational procedures describe how to perform activities, and define the controls, methods, and processes that are followed to achieve the desired result in a consistent manner and in accordance with policy objectives.

Requirement 4.1.2

Purpose

If roles and responsibilities are not formally assigned, personnel may not be aware of their day-to-day responsibilities and critical activities may not occur.

Good Practice

Roles and responsibilities may be documented within policies and procedures or maintained within separate documents. As part of communicating roles and responsibilities, entities can consider having personnel acknowledge their acceptance and understanding of their assigned roles and responsibilities.

Examples

A method to document roles and responsibilities is a responsibility assignment matrix that includes who is responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed (also called a RACI matrix).

4.2: Strong cryptography and security protocols are implemented as follows to safeguard PAN during transmission over open, public networks: (a) Only trusted keys and certificates are accepted, (b) Certificates used to safeguard PAN during transmission over open, public networks are confirmed as valid and are not expired or revoked. This bullet is a best practice until its effective date; refer to applicability notes below for details, (c) The protocol in use supports only secure versions or configurations and does not support fallback to, or use of insecure versions, algorithms, key sizes, or implementations, (d) The encryption strength is appropriate for the encryption methodology in use.
  • Examine documented policies and procedures and interview personnel to verify processes are defined to include all elements specified in this requirement.
  • Examine system configurations to verify that strong cryptography and security protocols are implemented in accordance with all elements specified in this requirement.
  • Examine cardholder data transmissions to verify that all PAN is encrypted with strong cryptography when it is transmitted over open, public networks.
  • Examine system configurations to verify that keys and/or certificates that cannot be verified as trusted are rejected.
Description

Requirement 4.2.1

Purpose

Transmitting PAN over open, public networks without strong cryptography exposes the data to interception by malicious individuals. Strong cryptography and security protocols protect PAN during transmission and help ensure that attackers cannot read the data even if they intercept the transmission.

Good Practice

Only trusted keys and certificates should be accepted. Certificates should be confirmed as valid and not expired or revoked. The protocol version and cipher suites used should be current and secure. Systems should be configured to not fall back to insecure protocols or cipher suites.

Definitions

Open, public networks include the Internet, wireless technologies (including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, and satellite), and other public or untrusted network technologies.

Requirement 4.2.1.1

Purpose

Trusted certificates help verify the identity of the server and ensure that communications are encrypted with a legitimate entity. Using certificates from trusted Certificate Authorities (CAs) helps prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.

Good Practice

Certificates should be obtained from trusted CAs and should be kept current. The certificate chain of trust should be verified during each connection. Self-signed certificates should not be used for production environments.

Requirement 4.2.1.2

Purpose

Wireless networks transmitting PAN are particularly vulnerable to eavesdropping because the signals travel through the air. Using strong cryptography to protect wireless transmissions helps prevent unauthorized interception of PAN.

Good Practice

Strong encryption should be used for all wireless transmissions of PAN. WPA2 or WPA3 with strong encryption algorithms should be used. WEP should never be used to protect wireless transmissions of PAN.

Requirement 4.2.2

Purpose

PAN sent via end-user messaging technologies such as email, instant messaging, or SMS can easily be intercepted or stored in cleartext by messaging systems. Securing PAN transmitted via these technologies helps prevent unauthorized access.

Good Practice

Strong cryptography should be used to protect PAN whenever it is sent via end-user messaging technologies. Consider whether the use of such technologies for sending PAN is necessary and whether alternative, more secure methods are available.

4.2: An inventory of the entity’s trusted keys and certificates used to protect PAN during transmission is maintained.
  • Examine documented policies and procedures to verify processes are defined for the entity to maintain an inventory of its trusted keys and certificates.
  • Examine the inventory of trusted keys and certificates to verify it is kept up to date.
Description

Requirement 4.2.1

Purpose

Transmitting PAN over open, public networks without strong cryptography exposes the data to interception by malicious individuals. Strong cryptography and security protocols protect PAN during transmission and help ensure that attackers cannot read the data even if they intercept the transmission.

Good Practice

Only trusted keys and certificates should be accepted. Certificates should be confirmed as valid and not expired or revoked. The protocol version and cipher suites used should be current and secure. Systems should be configured to not fall back to insecure protocols or cipher suites.

Definitions

Open, public networks include the Internet, wireless technologies (including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, and satellite), and other public or untrusted network technologies.

Requirement 4.2.1.1

Purpose

Trusted certificates help verify the identity of the server and ensure that communications are encrypted with a legitimate entity. Using certificates from trusted Certificate Authorities (CAs) helps prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.

Good Practice

Certificates should be obtained from trusted CAs and should be kept current. The certificate chain of trust should be verified during each connection. Self-signed certificates should not be used for production environments.

Requirement 4.2.1.2

Purpose

Wireless networks transmitting PAN are particularly vulnerable to eavesdropping because the signals travel through the air. Using strong cryptography to protect wireless transmissions helps prevent unauthorized interception of PAN.

Good Practice

Strong encryption should be used for all wireless transmissions of PAN. WPA2 or WPA3 with strong encryption algorithms should be used. WEP should never be used to protect wireless transmissions of PAN.

Requirement 4.2.2

Purpose

PAN sent via end-user messaging technologies such as email, instant messaging, or SMS can easily be intercepted or stored in cleartext by messaging systems. Securing PAN transmitted via these technologies helps prevent unauthorized access.

Good Practice

Strong cryptography should be used to protect PAN whenever it is sent via end-user messaging technologies. Consider whether the use of such technologies for sending PAN is necessary and whether alternative, more secure methods are available.

4.2: Wireless networks transmitting PAN or connected to the CDE use industry best practices to implement strong cryptography for authentication and transmission.
  • Examine system configurations to verify that wireless networks transmitting PAN or connected to the CDE use industry best practices to implement strong cryptography for authentication and transmission.
Description

Requirement 4.2.1

Purpose

Transmitting PAN over open, public networks without strong cryptography exposes the data to interception by malicious individuals. Strong cryptography and security protocols protect PAN during transmission and help ensure that attackers cannot read the data even if they intercept the transmission.

Good Practice

Only trusted keys and certificates should be accepted. Certificates should be confirmed as valid and not expired or revoked. The protocol version and cipher suites used should be current and secure. Systems should be configured to not fall back to insecure protocols or cipher suites.

Definitions

Open, public networks include the Internet, wireless technologies (including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, and satellite), and other public or untrusted network technologies.

Requirement 4.2.1.1

Purpose

Trusted certificates help verify the identity of the server and ensure that communications are encrypted with a legitimate entity. Using certificates from trusted Certificate Authorities (CAs) helps prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.

Good Practice

Certificates should be obtained from trusted CAs and should be kept current. The certificate chain of trust should be verified during each connection. Self-signed certificates should not be used for production environments.

Requirement 4.2.1.2

Purpose

Wireless networks transmitting PAN are particularly vulnerable to eavesdropping because the signals travel through the air. Using strong cryptography to protect wireless transmissions helps prevent unauthorized interception of PAN.

Good Practice

Strong encryption should be used for all wireless transmissions of PAN. WPA2 or WPA3 with strong encryption algorithms should be used. WEP should never be used to protect wireless transmissions of PAN.

Requirement 4.2.2

Purpose

PAN sent via end-user messaging technologies such as email, instant messaging, or SMS can easily be intercepted or stored in cleartext by messaging systems. Securing PAN transmitted via these technologies helps prevent unauthorized access.

Good Practice

Strong cryptography should be used to protect PAN whenever it is sent via end-user messaging technologies. Consider whether the use of such technologies for sending PAN is necessary and whether alternative, more secure methods are available.

4.2: PAN is secured with strong cryptography whenever it is sent via end-user messaging technologies.
  • Examine documented policies and procedures to verify that processes are defined to secure PAN with strong cryptography whenever sent over end-user messaging technologies.
  • Examine system configurations and vendor documentation to verify that PAN is secured with strong cryptography whenever it is sent via end- user messaging technologies.
Description

Requirement 4.2.1

Purpose

Transmitting PAN over open, public networks without strong cryptography exposes the data to interception by malicious individuals. Strong cryptography and security protocols protect PAN during transmission and help ensure that attackers cannot read the data even if they intercept the transmission.

Good Practice

Only trusted keys and certificates should be accepted. Certificates should be confirmed as valid and not expired or revoked. The protocol version and cipher suites used should be current and secure. Systems should be configured to not fall back to insecure protocols or cipher suites.

Definitions

Open, public networks include the Internet, wireless technologies (including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, and satellite), and other public or untrusted network technologies.

Requirement 4.2.1.1

Purpose

Trusted certificates help verify the identity of the server and ensure that communications are encrypted with a legitimate entity. Using certificates from trusted Certificate Authorities (CAs) helps prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.

Good Practice

Certificates should be obtained from trusted CAs and should be kept current. The certificate chain of trust should be verified during each connection. Self-signed certificates should not be used for production environments.

Requirement 4.2.1.2

Purpose

Wireless networks transmitting PAN are particularly vulnerable to eavesdropping because the signals travel through the air. Using strong cryptography to protect wireless transmissions helps prevent unauthorized interception of PAN.

Good Practice

Strong encryption should be used for all wireless transmissions of PAN. WPA2 or WPA3 with strong encryption algorithms should be used. WEP should never be used to protect wireless transmissions of PAN.

Requirement 4.2.2

Purpose

PAN sent via end-user messaging technologies such as email, instant messaging, or SMS can easily be intercepted or stored in cleartext by messaging systems. Securing PAN transmitted via these technologies helps prevent unauthorized access.

Good Practice

Strong cryptography should be used to protect PAN whenever it is sent via end-user messaging technologies. Consider whether the use of such technologies for sending PAN is necessary and whether alternative, more secure methods are available.