Chapter 7 – PCI DSS Compliance

Compliance checking diagnose command

Use the following command to display diagnostic information about compliance checking:

diagnose debug application dssccd <debug_level>

 

Network topology

The cardholder data environment must be protected against unauthorized access from the Internet and from other networks in your organization. FortiGate unit firewall functionality provides tight control over the traffic that can pass between the following network interfaces:

 

  • Internet
  • CDE wired LAN
  • CDE wireless LAN
  • Other internal networks

The figure below shows how the Cardholder Data Environment can be delineated in a typical network.

 

Enterprise network with a cardholder data environment

 

Internet

The FortiGate unit has at least one network interface connected to the Internet. If your organization uses more than one Internet service provider, there could be additional network interfaces that function as a route to the Internet.

 

The CDE wired LAN

The CDE network typically contains point-of-sale (POS) terminals, databases, and servers. The only security policies between the CDE network and the Internet should be for encrypted connections. For remote point-of-sale terminals or off-site databases, VPN connections are required and they should use strong encryption. For a web server that handles online purchases, only HTTPS (SSL or TLS) connections can be permitted. The security policies that enable these connections should have the narrowest possible definitions for source address, destination address and service.

PCI DSS does not require the CDE network to be isolated from the rest of your corporate LAN. But isolating the CDE network reduces the scope of required data protection measures and may reduce the scope of PCI DSS assessments that are periodically required.

 

The CDE wireless LAN

Wireless networking is a special issue. Even if you do not use wireless technology you must monitor to ensure that unauthorized wireless access has not been added to the CDE network. For this purpose, the figure above shows a FortiAP device in the CDE. The FortiAP device can provide dedicated wireless monitoring, an access point, or both.

A small retail outlet could reduce costs by using a FortiWiFi unit, a FortiGate unit with integrated wireless networking. The FortiWiFi unit would have to be located where it could provide sufficient wireless monitoring (or access point) coverage for the entire premises.

 

Other internal networks

Other internal networks such as your office LAN, unless they provide connection to the CDE, are not subject to PCI DSS requirements.

 

Security policies for the CDE network

The FortiGate unit’s firewall functionality is ideally suited to PCI DSS requirement 1.2.1, “Restrict inbound and outbound traffic to that which is necessary for the cardholder data environment, and specifically deny all other traffic.” Security policies control the source, destination, and type of traffic passing between networks.

The PCI DSS standard includes requirements to document your network topology and configuration. As part of that requirement, and to assist the auditing of your network, make use of the Comment field available in FortiGate security policies. Describe the purpose of each policy.


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About Mike

Michael Pruett, CISSP has a wide range of cyber-security and network engineering expertise. The plethora of vendors that resell hardware but have zero engineering knowledge resulting in the wrong hardware or configuration being deployed is a major pet peeve of Michael's. This site was started in an effort to spread information while providing the option of quality consulting services at a much lower price than Fortinet Professional Services. Owns PacketLlama.Com (Fortinet Hardware Sales) and Office Of The CISO, LLC (Cybersecurity consulting firm).

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