Pci Dss Containers

Although the pci dss framework doesn t deal in specific detail with containers a containerized infrastructure presents unique challenges that your organization must solve in order to remain pci compliant.
Pci dss containers. Key areas where containers can impact pci dss compliance include data protection network security and user access control. At the same time other aspects of microservices and containers make pci compliance a significant challenge. And while the pci security standards council includes a section on containers in its cloud computing guidelines this area is still fairly new and there isn t a lot of published guidance to help. Pci dss disallows the use of vulnerable security defaults while requiring system hardening practices in line with industry standards strong encryption on non console admin access and a well maintained inventory of all components subject to pci dss compliance.
Though containers are less isolated than virtual machines by. Meeting requirements of pci dss can be complex in fast changing container environments where some containers last a long time while others are quick to come and go. By example a dockerized web application should at a minimum have a separate web server and database container. Sysdig s 2019 container usage report found that 52 of containers live for five minutes or less while six percent of containers live longer than a week.
Similarly containers by design offer reduced functionality aligning with pci dss 2 2 2 enabling only necessary protocols and services. However as it pertains to the use of containers with applications involving credit card data little guidance had been provided until earlier this year when the pci security standard council created an updated version of their cloud computing guidelines. It is therefore essential to have a security platform that adresses pci requirements when working with containers. The pci dss helps thwart security breaches and identity theft across e commerce platforms.
Those with container environments can get assistance in meeting these requirements. Pci dss compliance challenges describes some of the challenges associated with validating pci dss compliance in a cloud environment. Pci dss considerations provides guidance and examples to help determine responsibilities for individual pci dss requirements and includes segmentation and scoping considerations. In conclusion containers in a pci dss environment should only be running one process or application each.