PCI DSS Gap Analysis

URM’s PCI DSS gap analysis service is aimed at those organisations which are looking to benchmark their current corporate information security practices (relating to payment card data) against the Standard and understand their readiness for a compliance assessment.

The gap analysis is often the first step of a PCI DSS project and provides you with a roadmap for achieving compliance. This service will typically involve one of URM’s QSAs spending time on your site meeting with those individuals responsible for:

• The PCI DSS programme
• Network administration and cardholder systems
• Developing company policies and procedures

Focus of Gap Analysis

URM’s QSA will assess your organisation’s practices against the 12 high-level PCI DSS requirements as follows:

1. Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect cardholder data
2. Do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters
3. Protect stored cardholder data
4. Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks
5. Protect all systems against malware and regularly update antivirus software or programs
6. Develop and maintain secure systems and applications
7. Restrict access to cardholder data by business need to know
8. Identify and authenticate access to system components
9. Restrict physical access to cardholder data
10. Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data
11. Regularly test security systems and processes
12. Maintain a policy that addresses information security for all personnel

Gap Analysis Outputs

The key output from our PCI DSS gap analysis service will be a report that includes:

• A definition of your cardholder data environment (CDE) and in-scope business processes, applications, devices, networks, facilities and service providers
• An assessment of how closely your organisation meets each of the PCI DSS requirements
• Recommendations for reducing the scope of the CDE, where applicable, thus reducing the potential cost of compliance
• Detailed recommendations for remediating any areas of non-compliance
• Advice regarding your organisation's best options for achieving PCI DSS compliance quickly and cost-effectively, drawing upon our QSAs’ experience working with similar organisations.