PCI 3:

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Requirement 3: Protect stored data.


  • Note that this does not apply to those employees and other parties with a specific need to see full credit card numbers.




PCI-3.1 Keep cardholder information storage to a minimum. Develop a data retention and disposal policy. Limit your storage amount and retention time to that which is required for business, legal, and or regulatory purposes, as documented in the data retention policy.




PCI-3.2 Do not store sensitive authentication data subsequent to authorization (not even if encrypted):


PCI-3.2.1 Do not store the full contents of any track from the magnetic stripe (on the back of the card, in a chip, etc.).


PCI-3.2.2 Do not store the card-validation code [three-digit or four-digit value printed on the front or back of a payment card (e.g., CVV2 data or CVC2 data)].


PCI-3.2.3 Do not store the PIN Verification Value (PVV).




PCI-3.3 Mask account numbers when displayed (the first six and last four digits are the maximum number of digits to be displayed).


  • Note that this does not apply to those employees and other parties with a specific need to see full credit card numbers.




PCI-3.4 Render sensitive cardholder data unreadable anywhere it is stored (including data on portable media, backup media, in logs, and data received from or stored by wireless networks) by using any of the following approaches:


  • One-way hashes (hashed indexes), such as SHA-1
  • Truncation
  • Index tokens and PADs, with the PADs being securely stored
  • Strong cryptography, such as Triple-DES 128-bit or Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256-bit with associated key management processes and procedures.


  • The MINIMUM account information that needs to be rendered unreadable is the payment card account number.




PCI-3.5 Protect encryption keys against both disclosure and misuse.


PCI-3.5.1 Restrict access to keys to the fewest number of custodians necessary.


PCI-3.5.2 Store keys securely in the fewest possible locations and forms.




PCI-3.6 Fully document and implement all key management processes and procedures, including:


  • Verify the existence of key management procedures.


For Service Providers only:


If the Service Provider shares keys with their customers for transmission of cardholder data, verify that the Service Provider provides documentation to customers that includes guidance on how to securely store and change customer’s encryption keys (used to transmit data between customer and service provider).


Examine the key management procedures and determine the procedures require the following:


PCI-3.6.1 Generation of strong keys.


PCI-3.6.2 Secure key distribution.


PCI-3.6.3 Secure key storage.


PCI-3.6.4 Periodic key changes.


PCI-3.6.5 Destruction of old keys.


PCI-3.6.6 Split knowledge and dual control of keys (so that it requires 2 or 3 people, each knowing only their part of the key, to reconstruct the whole key).


PCI-3.6.7 Prevention of unauthorized substitution of keys.


PCI-3.6.8 Replacement of known or suspected compromised keys.


PCI-3.6.9 Revocation of old or invalid keys (mainly for RSA keys).


PCI-3.6.10 Requirement for key custodians to sign a form specifying that they understand and accept their key-custodian responsibilities.


--Mdpeters 08:33, 26 June 2006 (EDT)