Month: June 2022

How To Transition From PA DSS To PCI SSF: A Guide – Part 2

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Contd from  How To Transition From PA DSS To PCI SSF: A Guide – Part 1
 
Understand PCI SSF framework
Organizations must comprehend the subtleties of the new structure in order to take appropriate action. It will be easier for your company to take the appropriate actions and restructure your business operations and related activities if you are aware of how the new framework functions and how it can affect your firm. Therefore, before making any choices or taking any activities related to the PCI SSF transition, we strongly advise enterprises to read the PCI Council document in its entirety.
 
Conduct a Gap Analysis 
The organisation should execute a gap analysis to determine where they stand in relation to the new PCI SSF criteria as the next logical step, which is what we anticipate them to do. This will provide the company with a clear path for putting safeguards into place or revising its processes, policies, and procedures to comply with the PCI SSF Standard.
 
Recognize the Differences Between PCI SSF and PCI SLC
Two distinct and independent projects make up the PCI Security Standard Framework, each of which has its own set of standards, validation standards, and SSC listing. Secure Software Lifecycle Program (SSL) and Secure Software Standard are the two initiatives (SSS).
Both programme concentrate on various facets of software security. For vendors to assess how they can manage the security of payment software while establishing or implementing security standards and procedures as necessary based on their business, it is essential that they understand the differences. In this approach, companies can be verified for SSL and a different SSS for payment software that has been built according on software eligibility requirements. Understanding the distinctions between Secure Software Lifecycle Program (SSL) and Secure Software
 
Get in touch with a qualified expert
For technical advice and assistance in planning for the transition phase scheduled to begin in 2022, organisations should speak with an experienced specialist. They will be in a better position to comprehend the new regulations and assist firms in translating the needs to achieve PCI SSF compliance because they are seasoned specialists in the field.
In order to assist enterprises in implementing measures and ensuring a seamless transition for the organisation, QRC is well-equipped to do so. Organizations can use our team of experts’ assistance to find and close gaps in compliance with PCI SSF standard requirements.
 
Keep track of the PCI Council’s most recent PCI SSF revisions.
Organizations must, of course, continuously monitor any announcements or most recent modifications made by the PCI Council regarding PCI SSF. By doing this, the business will make sure that everything is set up and ready to update its policies, practises, and workflows in order to meet the PCI SSF Standard by October 2022.
 
Conclusion 
Organizations may appear uncertain about and even struggle with the change from PA DSS to PCI SSF. However, if they adhere to the rules, the transition period may not have much of an influence on compliance efforts. Actually, the PCI SSF was created to aid software developers and provide them the freedom to plan and create payment application security in accordance with industry best practises and standards.
Additionally, PCI Council has taken all necessary steps to ensure a smooth transition, including the endeavor to keep the PCI SSF and PA-DSS Programs running concurrently until their expiration dates. So, in order to ensure a smooth transition, we firmly advise enterprises to embrace the PCI SSF initiative rather than running away from it.
 
You can get in touch with our specialists at QRC Assurance for any questions or advice on PCI SSF and the processes to start the transition from PA DSS to PCI SSF. Our experts would be more than delighted to assist you in achieving compliance and to make the process simple for you.

PCI Secure SLC vs PCI Secure Software

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The Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework, introduced by PCI SSC, is a relatively new framework that will go into effect in October 2022. The PCI SSF is a collection of various codes and tools created to safeguard payment software. It’s a framework that was created to take the position of the Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS) with more up-to-date standards that support various payment software types, technologies, and development techniques. The framework gives software developers the freedom to combine payment application security with the most up-to-date industry-best SDLC practices and frequent update cycles.
The Secure Software Lifecycle (SLC) Standard and the Secure Software Standard make up the framework. The eligibility requirements determine which standard is used. For a better understanding of the framework, the details of both standards are provided below.

What is a Secure Software Standard?

The PCI Secure Software Standard (PCI SSS) is a set of rules that Payment Software Vendors had to comply with in order to be recognized by the PCI Security Standard Council as a Validated Payment Software or Listed Payment Software. Validating the payment software guarantees that the application is developed securely and in accordance with the best practices and standards available. The validation ensures that the Payment Software was created securely to safeguard both the software’s integrity and the privacy of any sensitive data it saves, processes, or transfers.
Validation and listing are required for payment software created by the vendor that is intended to support or assist payment transactions in terms of processing, transmitting, or storing payment data, as well as software that is commercially accessible for sale to various organisations. On the PCI SSC website, there is a list of all the validated payment software that has been identified and listed.

What is the Secure Software Lifecycle standard?

A standard called the PCI Secure Software Lifecycle (SLC) was created with the aim of guaranteeing the security of the software vendor’s software development process, methodology, and practices . The ability to build secure payment software is demonstrated by comparing the organization’s software lifecycle management procedures to the Secure SLC Standard. By constructing a solid defense against attacks, this increases the assurance that the payment software is secure for supporting all types of payment transactions while also lowering risk exposure or vulnerabilities. Overall, the testing of the vendor’s SLC procedures, technology, and design, development, and maintenance of the payment software throughout the course of the whole software lifecycle establishes the level of security of the system against the PCI SLC.

Difference between PCI Secure Software Standard (SSS) and PCI Secure Software Lifecycle (SLC)

Under the Payment Software Security Framework, there are two distinct programme called Secure Software Standard (SSS) and Secure Software Lifecycle (SLC) (PCI SSF). Both curricula concentrate on various facets of software security verification. The PCI SSS evaluates the overall efficacy of the security of the programme whereas the SLC verifies the security policies and procedures used in software design and development. As a result, businesses may be verified for both the Secure Software Lifecycle for their software development process and the Secure Software Standard for any created payment software. Only software developers that create Payment Software that is sold, distributed, or licensed to third parties are subject to the PCI SSS.
This could include payment software that is installed on customers’ computers or that is intended for their use, regardless of how the programme is provided. In contrast, PCI Secure SLC is applicable to all software vendors who want to verify and guarantee the security of their Payment Software solutions. Software suppliers should be aware that if they have already been verified for SSS, they do not necessarily need to be validated against Secure SLC. Secure SLC validation, however, can make it simpler to maintain the validation of the payment programme when modifications are made to it.

How To Transition From PA DSS To PCI SSF: A Guide – Part 1

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The Payment Application Data Security Standard was introduced in 2008 to help software developers create safe payment applications for businesses and service providers. It is a standard that was devised and created for all software development companies producing software applications that store, process, or send sensitive authentication information as well as cardholder data. In order to raise the security requirements for applications that handle payments, the Payment Card Industry Security Standard Council recently unveiled a new architecture. The PA-DSS Standards would gradually be phased out by 2022 due to the adoption of the new Standards. After talking about this in greater detail, we’ve provided some advice for the organisation wanting to make the move from PA DSS to PCI SSF as painless as possible. However, let’s first comprehend that.
 
What Is PCI SSF?
To protect the design and development of payment application software, the PCI Software Security Framework is a new application security standard. The PCI Council took measures to raise the security requirements for payment applications and provide clients with secure and dependable online payment services. The standard was created to help software development suppliers construct a safe application by implementing best practises in order to adapt to the changing security and threat landscape.
 
The new framework enables a modern approach to application design and development that works with conventional payment software. Additionally, it aids in the development and upkeep of payment software that safeguards sensitive data, payment transactions, and overall exposure to risks. Adhering to the new standard verifies the security of the software.
 
Goals of the New PCI Software Security Framework
Traditional and contemporary software security criteria are combined in the PCI Program Security Framework to enable new technologies, software kinds, and development techniques. The new standard also aids suppliers in fortifying their defences against the new threats by reacting to the changing threat landscape. In order to enable both the conventional approaches to effective application security and the most recent development techniques, the software security framework was created with an emphasis on security practises.
 
What organisations need to be aware of in relation to the change from PA-DSS to PCI SSF
With expanded criteria that accommodate a range of payment software types, technologies, and development methodologies, PCI SSF replaces PA-DSS. The new Standard won’t have an impact on the current payment application within the PCI environment, despite the fact that PA-DSS Standards will phase out in October 2022. The standard will be available and fully supported during the transition time to prevent interruption and make the transition process easier for enterprises. The PCI Council’s schedule, which is provided below, should help organisations understand how PA-DSS will eventually be phased down in October 2022.
Before making any decisions, businesses should consider the following additional factors that the council has identified as being crucial.
  • Applications that have already been PA-DSS validated will continue to appear on the list of Validated Payment Applications until their expiration dates.
  • Vendors have until the end of October 2022 to submit revisions in accordance with standard procedure.
  • The PA-DSS Program will, however, end at that point, and all PA-DSS validated payment apps will be relocated to the “Acceptable Only for Pre-Existing Deployments” page on the list of Validated Payment Applications.
  • The deadline for new payment application submissions for PA-DSS validation is this month’s 30th of June 2021, after which the validation will expire.
  • Vendors can start the validation process for their Software Lifecycle Management processes and payment software once SSF Assessors are certified and listed on the PCI SSC website.
  • Both Validated Payment Software and Secure SLC Qualified Vendors will be included on the PCI SSC website.
  • On the PCI SSC List of Validated Payment Software, payment software that has been verified as conforming to the Secure Software Standard will be listed. When PA-DSS expires at the end of October 2022, the list will take the place of the present list of Validated Payment Applications.
  • The SSF also contains a PCI SSC List of Secure SLC Qualified Vendors, which lists companies that sell payment processing software and whose software lifecycle development procedures have been approved as satisfying the Secure SLC Standard.
Here are some actions that enterprises should take to achieve a seamless transition from PA DSS to PCI SSF while keeping everything in mind. 
How should PCI SSC stakeholders get ready for this change? Read Here