See part 1 here, part 2 here, part 3 here, part 4 here, part 5 here.

Go Forth and Compensate!
What a pretty mural we have painted over the last several pages! Good compensating controls are the result of a marriage between art and science. We’ve discussed what compensating controls are, what they are not, some funny examples of how to go wrong, and three solid scenarios from which we created good controls.

Compensating controls are not the golden parachute of compliance initiatives. They require work to build effective ones that will pass the scrutiny of both a QSA and an Acquiring Bank (or card brand). Rarely do they yield lower cost and effort than simply meeting the original requirement. PCI DSS is based on many good (not best) standards of practice for security, and should be viewed as a baseline by which to operate, not a high water mark by which you aspire to be one day. Compensating controls may help you lower the bar of compliance in the short term, but remember, only you can prevent a security breach.

I hope you enjoyed this article on Compensating Controls! Look for links to download the entire articles in the next few days!

This post originally appeared on BrandenWilliams.com.

Possibly Related Posts: