As compliance requirements for organizations develop, so do the technologies they govern. Applications are becoming increasingly complex, and in response, many developers are beginning to use containers for their applications. A containerized application holds everything necessary to run, eliminating any need for the application to pull data or instructions from elsewhere in your network.
Containerized environments work well for hosting applications, but they are not without security concerns. To ensure that consumer data is safe, companies must follow PCI DSS 4.0 starting in 2025. These rules are designed to ensure that data is not vulnerable to theft or unauthorized access, which is essential for your business. However, becoming compliant may look a little different if you’re running your apps inside containers.
Container-Specific PCI DSS 4.0 Compliance Challenges
PCI DSS 4.0 compliance is required for all organizations that deal with credit card transactions. It requires several important security measures, including storing payment and transaction records, access control, user authentication, and security awareness training, among others. While this is fairly straightforward, some organizations may have a more difficult time than others with implementation.
For organizations that use containers, PCI DSS 4.0 compliance is still entirely attainable, but containerization creates unique challenges that need to be addressed. Containers are fundamentally ephemeral and prone to change, which can make it difficult to keep up with dependencies, libraries, and the like. Many containers are deleted soon after creation. This can create security vulnerabilities.
Another challenge endemic to containerized environments is network segmentation. Containerization can be used to segment networks, which is actually a positive for your application security but can create PCI DSS compliance and security issues if executed poorly.
Although segmentation is a valuable tool for limiting network access and keeping data secure, containers are complex and can be prone to misconfiguration. Misconfiguration creates vulnerabilities that can be detrimental to your app if not caught and fixed before an attacker exploits them.
Securing Container Images and Registries
To comply with PCI DSS 4.0, your organization needs to make sure all containers, private consumer data, and transaction data are properly secured. To accomplish this, consider the following:
- Implement vulnerability scanning in CI/CD pipelines. If your organization uses Continuous Integration and Continuous Development (CI/CD) pipelines during application development, early prioritization of security will give you a leg up. Rather than scanning for vulnerabilities and then adding security to the app at the end of development, account for it early in development. Ultimately, this makes your app more secure.
- Patch and update regularly. One way to create a container image vulnerability is to neglect to keep your application updated. Old versions of software are vulnerable to exploitation, and containerized environments are no exception.
- Access control for container registries. Although the natural segmentation that occurs due to containerization can help limit access to your network and data, you should still enforce access controls within the container. Only users who need access should have it.
- Integrity verification for data. To ensure that you are compliant, check the integrity of all stored and transmitted data. Implement regular backups, data encryption, and access control to help with this. Also, be sure to keep images and caches decluttered.
- Use WAF or WAAP. To keep applications and APIs safe from attack, consider implementing firewall solutions that detect and block anomalous activity before it reaches the target.
Using all of these tools and practices can help keep you safe from attack. By limiting the number of possible attack vectors and preventing unauthorized access to consumer credit card information and other personal data, you will also be compliant with PCI DSS 4.0 standards.
Monitoring and Logging in Containerized PCI Environments
One of the strengths of containerization is its decentralization. This allows for independence that naturally limits access, preventing attackers from compromising your whole network from a single access point. However, centralized activity logging solutions are beneficial for distributed containers.
Keeping automated, detailed logs creates a baseline of activity that your security team can use down the line. Logs allow you to refer back to previous periods to see whether unusual activity is new or has only been previously undetected. It also helps ascertain whether there are patterns. By implementing a centralized tool for all of your containers, you can compare data across multiple environments.
Real-time monitoring and alerts are another important tool to have inside your containers. Ideally, the monitoring solution you choose will be able to flag compliance violations, ensuring that you are able to fix the problem and comply with PCI DSS 4.0. The consequences of failure are significant, and they range from revenue losses to large fines.
Although having a containerized environment can make compliance more difficult, it’s still quite attainable. Implement monitoring and logging tools, data encryption and integrity measures, and access control policies for best results. Additionally, ensure that your developers are keeping security and compliance in mind throughout your application’s lifecycle. All of these measures will go a long way toward keeping your organization fully compliant.
