Missed the PCI DSS 4.0 Deadline? Here Are 3 Things You Should Do Today

The transition to PCI DSS 4.0 is a substantial advancement in payment security standards and reflects a shift towards a more flexible and scalable approach to compliance. It will help organizations accommodate the diverse needs within the payments ecosystem. But perhaps your organization has struggled to find the best ways to meet these new requirements. By establishing a framework of identity-first zero trust you will have the foundation for meeting all PCI DSS requirements now and well into the future.

Here are three steps you can take today to become compliant with the new standards:

1. Improve password complexity.

Improving password complexity requires a multipronged approach to align with the new standards all while balancing security with usability. First, organizations should implement company policies that help encourage the use of longer passwords. The best passwords are a mix of alphanumeric characters, symbols and case variations. This enhances security by increasing the complexity of passwords, making them more resistant to brute-force attacks, while still being relatively easy for users to remember.

Second, leveraging passphrase-based authentication, where users create unique phrases instead of traditional passwords, can enhance both security and usability by providing a more intuitive and memorable way for individuals to access systems and data.

Lastly, organizations should incorporate multifactor authentication (MFA) as a supplementary security measure, requiring users to verify their identity through SMS or biometrics. By implementing these strategies — ones that are in line with PCI DSS 4.0 standards — businesses can strike a good balance between robust password security and user-friendly authentication practices, thus reducing the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive payment card data.

2. Elevate MFA.

Implementing MFA as a way to improve password protection is a minimum step companies should take. However, enhancing MFA beyond basic SMS verification and adopting more robust methods like biometrics or soft tokens is even better. Organizations should implement tools like authenticator apps that generate time-based one-time passwords on users' devices. These apps, like Google Authenticator or Authy, offer a higher level of security compared to SMS, as they aren't susceptible to interception or SIM swapping attacks.

Biometric authentication, such as fingerprint or facial recognition, can also be integrated into the MFA process, adding an extra layer of identity verification. And hardware tokens like YubiKeys provide yet another level of security by requiring physical presence for authentication. By combining these methods, organizations can create a multilayered defense against unauthorized access, ensuring stronger protection of sensitive data and systems.

3. Implement fine grained authorization.

Fine grained authorization, commonly referred to as FGA, is a security approach that provides highly detailed control over the access and permissions for resources within applications.

Unlike traditional access control methods, which might only distinguish between broad categories of users, FGA allows companies to establish policies and permissions that are defined with a high level of granularity. This provides tailored access that meets the precise needs of individual users or applications. It’s based on a variety of factors including user roles, relationship, location, time of access, and the type of data being accessed at a granular level.

In today's digital world, It has been a challenge for security and experience to coexist. A common misconception is that the tighter the security controls are, the worse the experience. Not only are both possible, the combination should be the standard.

Neeraj Methi is vice president of solutions at BeyondID, a managed identity solutions provider the best enterprises trust to bring their digital identity strategies to life.