Compensating Controls

Compensating controls are security measures that an organization implements when it cannot fully comply with a specific requirement of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) due to valid technical or business constraints. These controls are designed to provide an equivalent level of protection to mitigate the risks associated with the non-compliance of the original requirement.

To be valid, compensating controls must satisfy several criteria:

The PCI DSS documentation, specifically Appendices B and C in the "PCI DSS Requirements and Security Assessment Procedures," provides detailed guidance on how to assess and implement compensating controls. These appendices help organizations determine whether their compensating controls are robust enough and effectively mitigate the risks associated with non-compliance.

Organizations often resort to compensating controls when technological limitations or business constraints make it impractical or impossible to comply fully with a PCI DSS requirement. However, the use of such controls requires careful analysis and justification, thorough documentation, and must be reviewed and validated as part of the PCI DSS assessment process. This ensures that the security posture is not compromised, maintaining the protective intent of the PCI DSS framework.