Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards Practice Test

Which of the following is a requirement for shared hosting providers?

1. Ensure that hosted entities cannot access another entity's cardholder data environment

2. Provide hosted entities with access to the hosting provider's system configuration files

3. Provide hosted entities with a shared user ID for access to critical system binaries

4. Ensure that a hosted entity's log files are available to all hosted entities

The correct answer is: Ensure that hosted entities cannot access another entity's cardholder data environment

The requirement for shared hosting providers to ensure that hosted entities cannot access another entity's cardholder data environment is fundamental to maintaining data security and protecting sensitive information. This requirement reflects the core PCI DSS principles of segmentation and access control, which help to create a secure environment where sensitive data, like cardholder information, is safeguarded against unauthorized access. In a shared hosting environment, multiple customers may be using the same physical server resources. Therefore, isolating each customer's cardholder data environment is critical to ensuring that their data is not exposed to, or compromised by, other hosted entities. This isolation reduces the risk of data breaches and meets compliance obligations. By implementing strong controls to prevent access between entities, hosting providers can help mitigate the risks associated with shared resources. Other choices do not support best practices for security and data protection. For example, providing access to system configuration files or a shared user ID undermines the principle of least privilege and can lead to significant vulnerabilities. Similarly, making log files accessible to all entities would violate confidentiality and accountability principles.