With the right support, developers can lead your organization to superior PCI DSS 4.0 compliance
A version of this article originally appeared in DZone. It has been updated and syndicated here.
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) version 4.0 will change almost everything about security for any business or organization that accepts electronic payments, which is a vast majority of them. And make no mistake, this update will be transformative for most businesses, requiring them to upgrade many of their security processes and potentially roll out new protections regarding encryption, authentication, access control, key management, and other areas that they may have been slow to embrace before now.
Due to the complexity of the new requirements, organizations have been given until March 2025 to become fully compliant. But that deadline will arrive sooner than most people realize. In fact, many forward-thinking companies are taking steps right now to enable their developers to navigate the pending compliance landscape.
Going beyond check-the-box training
An organization’s developers write the code that much of their infrastructure relies on, so it makes sense that they are a good place to start when it comes to implementing the new PCI DSS 4.0 requirements. However, most developers will need strategic support to upskill as part of an updated security awareness program. This is to ensure that they have the experience needed to implement and maintain the higher levels of security required by the new standard.
In fact, requirement 12.6.2 of PCI DSS 4.0 directs organizations to implement a formal security program, and to keep it updated with the latest threat information and defensive techniques. With the older standard, basic security programs or even “check-the-box”-style annual compliance training met the objective. This new standard mandates so much more, even requiring that security training programs address specific threats and vulnerabilities within a company’s environment. For example, if stolen identities are a big problem for an organization, then the training needs to address that.
It's clear that minimal training will no longer be adequate from either a practical standpoint or for complying with the new standard. Instead, organizations need to provide developers with comprehensive, agile learning pathways that teach them how to apply security best practices to their real, everyday work. By going beyond minimum compliance efforts and providing developers with the resources they need to truly understand security, organizations can empower their developers to make better security decisions overall while also complying with PCI DSS 4.0.
The good news is that many of the new requirements in PCI DSS 4.0 are targeted toward areas that most developers are already familiar with like authentication, encryption, access control, key management, and others. When developers are given right-fit, relevant and familiar resources to grow their skills, organizations can more easily prepare them for the new standards and increased responsibilities that PCI DSS 4.0 will require.
Using PCI DSS 4.0 as a runway to better security overall
While addressing developer needs with good security education will be key to successfully complying with the new PCI DSS 4.0 standard, the effort of moving an organization towards better cybersecurity does not need to end there. Yes, the requirements are rigorous, but since most organizations will need to work to comply with them, there is no reason not to use that effort as a springboard for launching better security awareness and training overall. This will not only help an organization meet compliance requirements, but also start to foster a culture of positive security that prioritizes best practices and ensures that everyone in the organization is working towards the same, security-first goal.
There is a learning curve, sure, but developers will likely be on board with such an effort. In an Evans Data survey of over 1,200 professional developers actively working around the world, the overwhelming majority said they were supportive of the concept of creating secure code and establishing a better security culture at their organizations. It’s clear that most developers welcome a strategic, supported shift to secure coding and a reprioritizing of security as part of the development process.
The security upgrades mandated by PCI DSS 4.0 provide a perfect excuse for companies to invest in improved security best practices and training, and to embrace a better overall security culture within their organization.
Developers can more easily achieve higher levels of security maturity if their companies invest in a program that lets them integrate their skills in secure coding with relevant tools and training. This can, in turn, help to create a culture of security where developers are further empowered to make better decisions that improve their organization’s overall security posture well beyond even the rigorous new PCI DSS 4.0 standards.
Matias Madou, Ph.D. is a security expert, researcher, and CTO and co-founder of Secure Code Warrior. Matias obtained his Ph.D. in Application Security from Ghent University, focusing on static analysis solutions. He later joined Fortify in the US, where he realized that it was insufficient to solely detect code problems without aiding developers in writing secure code. This inspired him to develop products that assist developers, alleviate the burden of security, and exceed customers' expectations. When he is not at his desk as part of Team Awesome, he enjoys being on stage presenting at conferences including RSA Conference, BlackHat and DefCon.
Secure Code Warrior is here for your organization to help you secure code across the entire software development lifecycle and create a culture in which cybersecurity is top of mind. Whether you’re an AppSec Manager, Developer, CISO, or anyone involved in security, we can help your organization reduce risks associated with insecure code.
Book a demo
Matias Madou, Ph.D. is a security expert, researcher, and CTO and co-founder of Secure Code Warrior. Matias obtained his Ph.D. in Application Security from Ghent University, focusing on static analysis solutions. He later joined Fortify in the US, where he realized that it was insufficient to solely detect code problems without aiding developers in writing secure code. This inspired him to develop products that assist developers, alleviate the burden of security, and exceed customers' expectations. When he is not at his desk as part of Team Awesome, he enjoys being on stage presenting at conferences including RSA Conference, BlackHat and DefCon.
Matias is a researcher and developer with more than 15 years of hands-on software security experience. He has developed solutions for companies such as Fortify Software and his own company Sensei Security. Over his career, Matias has led multiple application security research projects which have led to commercial products and boasts over 10 patents under his belt. When he is away from his desk, Matias has served as an instructor for advanced application security training courses and regularly speaks at global conferences including RSA Conference, Black Hat, DefCon, BSIMM, OWASP AppSec and BruCon.
Matias holds a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Ghent University, where he studied application security through program obfuscation to hide the inner workings of an application.
A version of this article originally appeared in DZone. It has been updated and syndicated here.
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) version 4.0 will change almost everything about security for any business or organization that accepts electronic payments, which is a vast majority of them. And make no mistake, this update will be transformative for most businesses, requiring them to upgrade many of their security processes and potentially roll out new protections regarding encryption, authentication, access control, key management, and other areas that they may have been slow to embrace before now.
Due to the complexity of the new requirements, organizations have been given until March 2025 to become fully compliant. But that deadline will arrive sooner than most people realize. In fact, many forward-thinking companies are taking steps right now to enable their developers to navigate the pending compliance landscape.
Going beyond check-the-box training
An organization’s developers write the code that much of their infrastructure relies on, so it makes sense that they are a good place to start when it comes to implementing the new PCI DSS 4.0 requirements. However, most developers will need strategic support to upskill as part of an updated security awareness program. This is to ensure that they have the experience needed to implement and maintain the higher levels of security required by the new standard.
In fact, requirement 12.6.2 of PCI DSS 4.0 directs organizations to implement a formal security program, and to keep it updated with the latest threat information and defensive techniques. With the older standard, basic security programs or even “check-the-box”-style annual compliance training met the objective. This new standard mandates so much more, even requiring that security training programs address specific threats and vulnerabilities within a company’s environment. For example, if stolen identities are a big problem for an organization, then the training needs to address that.
It's clear that minimal training will no longer be adequate from either a practical standpoint or for complying with the new standard. Instead, organizations need to provide developers with comprehensive, agile learning pathways that teach them how to apply security best practices to their real, everyday work. By going beyond minimum compliance efforts and providing developers with the resources they need to truly understand security, organizations can empower their developers to make better security decisions overall while also complying with PCI DSS 4.0.
The good news is that many of the new requirements in PCI DSS 4.0 are targeted toward areas that most developers are already familiar with like authentication, encryption, access control, key management, and others. When developers are given right-fit, relevant and familiar resources to grow their skills, organizations can more easily prepare them for the new standards and increased responsibilities that PCI DSS 4.0 will require.
Using PCI DSS 4.0 as a runway to better security overall
While addressing developer needs with good security education will be key to successfully complying with the new PCI DSS 4.0 standard, the effort of moving an organization towards better cybersecurity does not need to end there. Yes, the requirements are rigorous, but since most organizations will need to work to comply with them, there is no reason not to use that effort as a springboard for launching better security awareness and training overall. This will not only help an organization meet compliance requirements, but also start to foster a culture of positive security that prioritizes best practices and ensures that everyone in the organization is working towards the same, security-first goal.
There is a learning curve, sure, but developers will likely be on board with such an effort. In an Evans Data survey of over 1,200 professional developers actively working around the world, the overwhelming majority said they were supportive of the concept of creating secure code and establishing a better security culture at their organizations. It’s clear that most developers welcome a strategic, supported shift to secure coding and a reprioritizing of security as part of the development process.
The security upgrades mandated by PCI DSS 4.0 provide a perfect excuse for companies to invest in improved security best practices and training, and to embrace a better overall security culture within their organization.
Developers can more easily achieve higher levels of security maturity if their companies invest in a program that lets them integrate their skills in secure coding with relevant tools and training. This can, in turn, help to create a culture of security where developers are further empowered to make better decisions that improve their organization’s overall security posture well beyond even the rigorous new PCI DSS 4.0 standards.
A version of this article originally appeared in DZone. It has been updated and syndicated here.
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) version 4.0 will change almost everything about security for any business or organization that accepts electronic payments, which is a vast majority of them. And make no mistake, this update will be transformative for most businesses, requiring them to upgrade many of their security processes and potentially roll out new protections regarding encryption, authentication, access control, key management, and other areas that they may have been slow to embrace before now.
Due to the complexity of the new requirements, organizations have been given until March 2025 to become fully compliant. But that deadline will arrive sooner than most people realize. In fact, many forward-thinking companies are taking steps right now to enable their developers to navigate the pending compliance landscape.
Going beyond check-the-box training
An organization’s developers write the code that much of their infrastructure relies on, so it makes sense that they are a good place to start when it comes to implementing the new PCI DSS 4.0 requirements. However, most developers will need strategic support to upskill as part of an updated security awareness program. This is to ensure that they have the experience needed to implement and maintain the higher levels of security required by the new standard.
In fact, requirement 12.6.2 of PCI DSS 4.0 directs organizations to implement a formal security program, and to keep it updated with the latest threat information and defensive techniques. With the older standard, basic security programs or even “check-the-box”-style annual compliance training met the objective. This new standard mandates so much more, even requiring that security training programs address specific threats and vulnerabilities within a company’s environment. For example, if stolen identities are a big problem for an organization, then the training needs to address that.
It's clear that minimal training will no longer be adequate from either a practical standpoint or for complying with the new standard. Instead, organizations need to provide developers with comprehensive, agile learning pathways that teach them how to apply security best practices to their real, everyday work. By going beyond minimum compliance efforts and providing developers with the resources they need to truly understand security, organizations can empower their developers to make better security decisions overall while also complying with PCI DSS 4.0.
The good news is that many of the new requirements in PCI DSS 4.0 are targeted toward areas that most developers are already familiar with like authentication, encryption, access control, key management, and others. When developers are given right-fit, relevant and familiar resources to grow their skills, organizations can more easily prepare them for the new standards and increased responsibilities that PCI DSS 4.0 will require.
Using PCI DSS 4.0 as a runway to better security overall
While addressing developer needs with good security education will be key to successfully complying with the new PCI DSS 4.0 standard, the effort of moving an organization towards better cybersecurity does not need to end there. Yes, the requirements are rigorous, but since most organizations will need to work to comply with them, there is no reason not to use that effort as a springboard for launching better security awareness and training overall. This will not only help an organization meet compliance requirements, but also start to foster a culture of positive security that prioritizes best practices and ensures that everyone in the organization is working towards the same, security-first goal.
There is a learning curve, sure, but developers will likely be on board with such an effort. In an Evans Data survey of over 1,200 professional developers actively working around the world, the overwhelming majority said they were supportive of the concept of creating secure code and establishing a better security culture at their organizations. It’s clear that most developers welcome a strategic, supported shift to secure coding and a reprioritizing of security as part of the development process.
The security upgrades mandated by PCI DSS 4.0 provide a perfect excuse for companies to invest in improved security best practices and training, and to embrace a better overall security culture within their organization.
Developers can more easily achieve higher levels of security maturity if their companies invest in a program that lets them integrate their skills in secure coding with relevant tools and training. This can, in turn, help to create a culture of security where developers are further empowered to make better decisions that improve their organization’s overall security posture well beyond even the rigorous new PCI DSS 4.0 standards.
Click on the link below and download the PDF of this resource.
Secure Code Warrior is here for your organization to help you secure code across the entire software development lifecycle and create a culture in which cybersecurity is top of mind. Whether you’re an AppSec Manager, Developer, CISO, or anyone involved in security, we can help your organization reduce risks associated with insecure code.
View reportBook a demo
Matias Madou, Ph.D. is a security expert, researcher, and CTO and co-founder of Secure Code Warrior. Matias obtained his Ph.D. in Application Security from Ghent University, focusing on static analysis solutions. He later joined Fortify in the US, where he realized that it was insufficient to solely detect code problems without aiding developers in writing secure code. This inspired him to develop products that assist developers, alleviate the burden of security, and exceed customers' expectations. When he is not at his desk as part of Team Awesome, he enjoys being on stage presenting at conferences including RSA Conference, BlackHat and DefCon.
Matias is a researcher and developer with more than 15 years of hands-on software security experience. He has developed solutions for companies such as Fortify Software and his own company Sensei Security. Over his career, Matias has led multiple application security research projects which have led to commercial products and boasts over 10 patents under his belt. When he is away from his desk, Matias has served as an instructor for advanced application security training courses and regularly speaks at global conferences including RSA Conference, Black Hat, DefCon, BSIMM, OWASP AppSec and BruCon.
Matias holds a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Ghent University, where he studied application security through program obfuscation to hide the inner workings of an application.
A version of this article originally appeared in DZone. It has been updated and syndicated here.
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) version 4.0 will change almost everything about security for any business or organization that accepts electronic payments, which is a vast majority of them. And make no mistake, this update will be transformative for most businesses, requiring them to upgrade many of their security processes and potentially roll out new protections regarding encryption, authentication, access control, key management, and other areas that they may have been slow to embrace before now.
Due to the complexity of the new requirements, organizations have been given until March 2025 to become fully compliant. But that deadline will arrive sooner than most people realize. In fact, many forward-thinking companies are taking steps right now to enable their developers to navigate the pending compliance landscape.
Going beyond check-the-box training
An organization’s developers write the code that much of their infrastructure relies on, so it makes sense that they are a good place to start when it comes to implementing the new PCI DSS 4.0 requirements. However, most developers will need strategic support to upskill as part of an updated security awareness program. This is to ensure that they have the experience needed to implement and maintain the higher levels of security required by the new standard.
In fact, requirement 12.6.2 of PCI DSS 4.0 directs organizations to implement a formal security program, and to keep it updated with the latest threat information and defensive techniques. With the older standard, basic security programs or even “check-the-box”-style annual compliance training met the objective. This new standard mandates so much more, even requiring that security training programs address specific threats and vulnerabilities within a company’s environment. For example, if stolen identities are a big problem for an organization, then the training needs to address that.
It's clear that minimal training will no longer be adequate from either a practical standpoint or for complying with the new standard. Instead, organizations need to provide developers with comprehensive, agile learning pathways that teach them how to apply security best practices to their real, everyday work. By going beyond minimum compliance efforts and providing developers with the resources they need to truly understand security, organizations can empower their developers to make better security decisions overall while also complying with PCI DSS 4.0.
The good news is that many of the new requirements in PCI DSS 4.0 are targeted toward areas that most developers are already familiar with like authentication, encryption, access control, key management, and others. When developers are given right-fit, relevant and familiar resources to grow their skills, organizations can more easily prepare them for the new standards and increased responsibilities that PCI DSS 4.0 will require.
Using PCI DSS 4.0 as a runway to better security overall
While addressing developer needs with good security education will be key to successfully complying with the new PCI DSS 4.0 standard, the effort of moving an organization towards better cybersecurity does not need to end there. Yes, the requirements are rigorous, but since most organizations will need to work to comply with them, there is no reason not to use that effort as a springboard for launching better security awareness and training overall. This will not only help an organization meet compliance requirements, but also start to foster a culture of positive security that prioritizes best practices and ensures that everyone in the organization is working towards the same, security-first goal.
There is a learning curve, sure, but developers will likely be on board with such an effort. In an Evans Data survey of over 1,200 professional developers actively working around the world, the overwhelming majority said they were supportive of the concept of creating secure code and establishing a better security culture at their organizations. It’s clear that most developers welcome a strategic, supported shift to secure coding and a reprioritizing of security as part of the development process.
The security upgrades mandated by PCI DSS 4.0 provide a perfect excuse for companies to invest in improved security best practices and training, and to embrace a better overall security culture within their organization.
Developers can more easily achieve higher levels of security maturity if their companies invest in a program that lets them integrate their skills in secure coding with relevant tools and training. This can, in turn, help to create a culture of security where developers are further empowered to make better decisions that improve their organization’s overall security posture well beyond even the rigorous new PCI DSS 4.0 standards.
Table of contents
Matias Madou, Ph.D. is a security expert, researcher, and CTO and co-founder of Secure Code Warrior. Matias obtained his Ph.D. in Application Security from Ghent University, focusing on static analysis solutions. He later joined Fortify in the US, where he realized that it was insufficient to solely detect code problems without aiding developers in writing secure code. This inspired him to develop products that assist developers, alleviate the burden of security, and exceed customers' expectations. When he is not at his desk as part of Team Awesome, he enjoys being on stage presenting at conferences including RSA Conference, BlackHat and DefCon.
Secure Code Warrior is here for your organization to help you secure code across the entire software development lifecycle and create a culture in which cybersecurity is top of mind. Whether you’re an AppSec Manager, Developer, CISO, or anyone involved in security, we can help your organization reduce risks associated with insecure code.
Book a demoDownloadResources to get you started
Secure by Design: Defining Best Practices, Enabling Developers and Benchmarking Preventative Security Outcomes
In this research paper, Secure Code Warrior co-founders, Pieter Danhieux and Dr. Matias Madou, Ph.D., along with expert contributors, Chris Inglis, Former US National Cyber Director (now Strategic Advisor to Paladin Capital Group), and Devin Lynch, Senior Director, Paladin Global Institute, will reveal key findings from over twenty in-depth interviews with enterprise security leaders including CISOs, a VP of Application Security, and software security professionals.
Benchmarking Security Skills: Streamlining Secure-by-Design in the Enterprise
Finding meaningful data on the success of Secure-by-Design initiatives is notoriously difficult. CISOs are often challenged when attempting to prove the return on investment (ROI) and business value of security program activities at both the people and company levels. Not to mention, it’s particularly difficult for enterprises to gain insights into how their organizations are benchmarked against current industry standards. The President’s National Cybersecurity Strategy challenged stakeholders to “embrace security and resilience by design.” The key to making Secure-by-Design initiatives work is not only giving developers the skills to ensure secure code, but also assuring the regulators that those skills are in place. In this presentation, we share a myriad of qualitative and quantitative data, derived from multiple primary sources, including internal data points collected from over 250,000 developers, data-driven customer insights, and public studies. Leveraging this aggregation of data points, we aim to communicate a vision of the current state of Secure-by-Design initiatives across multiple verticals. The report details why this space is currently underutilized, the significant impact a successful upskilling program can have on cybersecurity risk mitigation, and the potential to eliminate categories of vulnerabilities from a codebase.
Secure code training topics & content
Our industry-leading content is always evolving to fit the ever changing software development landscape with your role in mind. Topics covering everything from AI to XQuery Injection, offered for a variety of roles from Architects and Engineers to Product Managers and QA. Get a sneak peak of what our content catalog has to offer by topic and role.
Resources to get you started
Revealed: How the Cyber Industry Defines Secure by Design
In our latest white paper, our Co-Founders, Pieter Danhieux and Dr. Matias Madou, Ph.D., sat down with over twenty enterprise security leaders, including CISOs, AppSec leaders and security professionals, to figure out the key pieces of this puzzle and uncover the reality behind the Secure by Design movement. It’s a shared ambition across the security teams, but no shared playbook.
Is Vibe Coding Going to Turn Your Codebase Into a Frat Party?
Vibe coding is like a college frat party, and AI is the centerpiece of all the festivities, the keg. It’s a lot of fun to let loose, get creative, and see where your imagination can take you, but after a few keg stands, drinking (or, using AI) in moderation is undoubtedly the safer long-term solution.
Developer-driven coding.
Securely.
Contact us today and make software security an intrinsic part of your development process.
