Netskope for PCI DSS Compliance

Supporting information

What is PCI DSS compliance? The challenge Netskope’s solution for PCI DSS compliance Key questions answered in this guide

3 min read

What is PCI DSS compliance?

The payment card industry data security standard (PCI DSS) is a global set of rules for keeping cardholder data safe. It focuses on securing every step of a credit or debit card transaction. Compliance involves meeting 12 core requirements, including building secure networks, encrypting data in transit and at rest, implementing strong access controls, and regularly monitoring systems for vulnerabilities.

The challenge

PCI DSS v4.0 demands understanding, evidence, and consistency in greater depth than previous versions of the standard. PCI DSS requires organizations to meet six objectives and 12 requirements across all systems, users, and processes that store, process, transmit, or can impact cardholder data and sensitive authentication data. This applies to everything within an extended cardholder data environment (CDE), including indirectly connected systems.

PCI DSS 4.0 retains these same goals but raises the standard of execution. It demands periodic compliance to continuous control validation and stronger proof through documented evidence, clear control design, and consistent enforcement. It expands scope through mandatory data discovery, enforces multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all CDE access, tightens authentication controls, and introduces flexibility through customized approaches, which increases the burden of justification. There are additional expectations such as risk-based control frequency, payment script security, updated penetration testing, improved incident response, phishing-focused training, and expanded logging and monitoring that add operational complexity.

Netskope’s solution for PCI DSS compliance

Monitoring and automated remediation: Netskope’s Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) and SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) continuously monitor IaaS and SaaS platforms and automatically detect misconfigurations that deviate from PCI DSS standards.
Rapid incident workflow: Both CSPM and SSPM seamlessly integrate with Netskope’s cloud ticket orchestrator, which generates service tickets and automates remediation efforts, enabling cloud environments to remain consistently compliant.
Safeguarding cardholder data everywhere: Netskope’s CASB (cloud access security broker) and Next Gen Secure Web Gateway (NG-SWG), equipped with data loss prevention (DLP), automatically classifies and protects sensitive primary account numbers (PAN) and sensitive authentication data (SAD) in use, in transit, and at rest across web, cloud applications, and endpoint devices.
Advanced AI capabilities: SkopeAI enhances traditional DLP by utilizing machine learning to analyze and protect unstructured data formats, such as images, delivering unmatched speed and contextual awareness against data leaks.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA): Netskope’s NG-SWG integrates with NIST-compliant identity providers to extend single sign-on (SSO) and MFA across all managed and unmanaged apps and also leverages context-aware controls.
Secure remote access: Zero trust network access (ZTNA) Next provides secure, end-to-end encrypted remote access to private applications. It enforces zero trust principles, applies granular access privileges, and logs all access attempts so that only authorized personnel can reach the cardholder data environment (CDE).
Defeating evolving malware: Advanced threat protection incorporates machine learning, real-time phishing detection, deobfuscation, and multi-stage sandboxing to identify and block zero-day threats and polymorphic malware.
Network isolation and traffic inspection: Remote browser isolation (RBI) contains risky or uncharacterized websites in secure cloud-based sandboxes to prevent malware infections. Netskope’s cloud firewall inspects outbound traffic to prevent DDoS and DNS attacks without the need to backhaul traffic to on-premises stacks.
Insider threats and anomalies: Netskope employs advanced user entity and behavior analytics (UEBA) to establish normal behavior baselines and dynamically assign a user confidence index (UCI) risk score to detect and mitigate insider threats.
Device control: Device intelligence automatically catalogs and classifies all devices connecting to the network, using artificial intelligence and zero trust principles to detect anomalies and isolate risky devices to protect the broader network.
Audit logging: The cloud log shipper exports logs from various Netskope tools to SIEMs, and the cloud ticket orchestrator automates incident response workflows by creating service tickets and enforcing role-based access controls.

Key questions answered in this guide

What constitutes the PCI DSS cardholder data environment?
Does PCI DSS v4.0 allow for flexible security controls?
Are the PCI DSS multi-factor authentication requirements changing?
How does PCI DSS v4.0 address payment page security?
What are the PCI DSS requirements for data discovery?

This PDF details the exact mapping of Netskope products to all 12 PCI DSS v.4.0 requirements. Download the full guide now to see the technical architecture for automated remediation and continuous data protection. Contact the Netskope team to schedule a demonstration of these compliance controls in action.