How to Secure Your BeyondTrust for PCI DSS and Get Your Compliance Seal

 

Securing your BeyondTrust solution to achieve PCI DSS compliance and get the official badge/seal can seem challenging, especially if you’re not a cybersecurity pro. Here’s a detailed, clear guide to how to secure your BeyondTrust for PCI DSS compliance and make sure you pass audits, with all the right steps and simple explanations.

• Understand what PCI DSS requires:
  PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) is a global security standard for organizations handling credit card information. It outlines strict security controls for data, systems, processes, and even physical environments. BeyondTrust manages privileged accounts—these are high-level accounts that can access sensitive systems or cardholder data. PCI DSS expects the highest controls around privilege.
• Enforce strong access controls in BeyondTrust:
  Restrict admin accounts. Only give access to people who absolutely need it. Always use multi-factor authentication (MFA)—that means using two types of verification, like a password and a push notification. Eliminate shared passwords. Use unique accounts for every admin. Regularly review and remove access for people who don’t need it anymore.
• Monitor, log, and audit all activity:
  PCI DSS mandates detailed logging. BeyondTrust can record who logs in, what they do, and when they do it. Make sure session recording is enabled for all privileged actions—screen, keystrokes, and command-level logging. Store these logs securely and make sure they can’t be altered. Review logs regularly to spot suspicious behavior.
• Apply least privilege and segmentation:
  Use BeyondTrust to restrict each user’s access to only what they need. Limit access to cardholder data environments and only expose what’s necessary. This principle—called least privilege—is a PCI requirement and a cybersecurity best-practice. Use BeyondTrust's grouping and network segmentation features to ensure admin tools operate in isolated environments, separated from payment data networks.
• Keep BeyondTrust updated and patched:
  Always run the newest, supported version of BeyondTrust. Apply security updates quickly—outdated systems are a big PCI DSS fail. Review software vendors’ security bulletins and set up reminders for patch management.
• Regular vulnerability scans and penetration tests:
  PCI DSS requires internal and external scanning (vulnerability scans) to find weaknesses. Schedule BeyondTrust scans as part of your regular IT security scan cycle. Fix or “remediate” problems fast. Arrange annual penetration testing—real hackers (friendly) simulate attacks to spot cracks. You need to prove these were done and issues fixed.
• Strong password management policies:
  Set BeyondTrust to enforce strict password policies: long, complex passwords, regular changes, and no repeats. Automatically rotate (change) privileged account passwords using BeyondTrust features. Document your policies for audit purposes.
• Data encryption in transit and at rest:
  Make sure BeyondTrust encrypts all sensitive data—both in transit (when moving across the network) and at rest (when stored on drives). Use strong encryption algorithms like TLS 1.2+ for communications, as PCI DSS states.
• User training and awareness:
  Make sure staff who use BeyondTrust understand their responsibilities and risks, know the policies, and identify suspicious activity. Train everyone regularly and document these sessions.
• Document your controls:
  Every control or security setting you’ve applied must be documented. Keep records of user lists, password policies, logs, training sessions, vulnerability scans, and patch procedures. This is vital when the auditor reviews your systems.
• Work with expert consultants for readiness and assessment:
  Achieving the PCI DSS badge/seal means not only controlling and documenting, but also showing you meet each PCI requirement during an official audit (by a Qualified Security Assessor or QSA). Consider a professional readiness assessment from a provider like OCD Tech. They’ll review your BeyondTrust setup, run pre-audit checks, help you fix gaps, and guide you through the whole compliance process.

Most important for audit success:

• Complete user and access reviews
• Confirmed MFA and strong password enforcement
• Session recording and uneditable logs
• Proof of policy documentation and regular training
• Updated software with patch evidence
• Third-party readiness assessment or gap analysis (like from OCD Tech)

How to get the PCI DSS compliance badge/seal for BeyondTrust:

• Work through all PCI DSS requirements, focusing on privileged access as described above
• Perform a gap analysis, fix discovered issues, and document all changes/training
• Undergo an official QSA assessment or Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ), depending on your organization
• Receive your official Report on Compliance (RoC) or Attestation of Compliance (AoC)—often with the help of OCD Tech supporting your readiness and evidence gathering
• After passing the audit, your acquiring bank or payment networks will issue the official PCI DSS compliance seal or badge, proving that BeyondTrust is properly secured for PCI compliance