Get to Know PA DSS Compliance Features and Process
PA DSS Compliance
A global security standard for cardholder data, the Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA DSS) applies to the payment application software developers and is a part of the Payment Card Industry (PCI) DSS. A software vendor who designs, develops and sells payment applications is requires to conform to PA DSS guidelines. This ensures the security of software components and avoids monetary fines in case of a failure to comply with the rules.
The PCI Security Standard Council (SSC) manages PA DSS, which was earlier supervised by the Visa Inc. The security standard is also called the Payment Application Best Practices (PABP) was framed with the principal objective of securing payment application for software vendors. In other words, the third parties to whom payment applications are licensed, distributed or sold have to adhere to PA DSS compliance requirements.
This makes the merchants who have not distributed, sold or licensed the payment application to third parties not applicable to PA DSS guidelines; instead, they should conform to PCI DSS compliance standard.
What Are the Inherent Features of PA DSS Guidelines?
A set of requirements designed to assist the software vendors develop safe and secured payment applications in agreement with the PCI DSS compliance is what PA DSS is. Here are some innate features of PA DSS compliance process.
These guidelines are designed for those integrators or developers of the payment application software that utilizes the customer card payment information for payment settlement or authorization and is sold or licensed to third parties.
It however avoids those developers or merchants who have developed the payment application software for in-house use.
The security standards are so designed to safeguard payment card applications to support the safe payment process.
The definition of scope includes dealing with the security challenges of payment applications.
The application of PA DSS is mandatory; nevertheless, it differs depending on the application as decided by the card payment brands or acquirers.
It is governed by the PCI SSC and earlier by the Visa Inc.
The standard asks for adhering to as many as 13 requirements
Know the PCI DSS Compliance Certification Process
The certification process requires the services of a cybersecurity expert, who can help you with the following process.
1. Define the scope, both ‘in scope’ and ‘out of scope’ elements of the cardholder environment, where PA DSS requirements affect or are linked to the safety of the card payment data environment.
2. Gaps are identified through the validation process by the professionals in the payment application.
3. The code review, data analysis and log file analysis are conducted according to the PA DSS compliance. Then the penetration testing is conducted determining the position of the security.
4. The essential remediation support is advised after the gap assessment and then, final validation testing is performed.
5. Once the final audit is done with, the report of compliance (ROC) and Attestation of Compliance (AOV) is shared and submitted for PA DSS certification.
The PA DSS certification has three years of validity though you need to have the PA DSS compliance validated every year.