Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards Practice Test

Which of the following is an effective way to reduce the scope of PCI DSS assessment?

1. Not store cardholder data

2. Encrypt cardholder data

3. Mask cardholder data

4. Store cardholder data in databases

The correct answer is: Not store cardholder data

The correct choice emphasizes a fundamental principle of PCI DSS compliance: reducing the amount of cardholder data that an organization retains is a vital step in minimizing security risks. By not storing cardholder data, organizations significantly limit their exposure to potential data breaches and fraud. Since PCI DSS requirements are heavily based on the presence and handling of cardholder data, eliminating storage means fewer controls are needed, which directly reduces the scope of the compliance assessment. The other options, while useful in mitigating risks associated with cardholder data, do not achieve the same level of reduction in compliance scope. Encrypting cardholder data enhances security but does not eliminate the data itself, which still requires various controls and assessments. Masking cardholder data provides a way to protect it during processing or display but again does not remove the data from the environment. Finally, storing cardholder data in databases inherently increases the scope of PCI DSS compliance, as it introduces additional requirements related to data security measures and assessments that must be managed and verified regularly.