RE: How does a customer get PCI audited?

[Craig Wright <Craig.Wright () bdo com au>]

"You secure your systems by having an IT Security Company perform a real
good assessment"
No, good controls and training help secure a system. Pen testing is a detective control. No more. In fact, it is not 
even close to being the best (bang for buck) detective control.

Actually, Pen testing is about a 30% option that ignores many of the vulnerable points of a system. Economic limits 
constrain it. The difficulty

I did some scientific research into this in the past. I published in the IIA journal and a few others and a paper is on 
the sans reading room as well:
http://www.sans.org/reading_room/whitepapers/auditing/1801.php

The difficultly is that there are very few auditors with a deep technical level of knowledge.

Craig


Craig Wright
Manager, Risk Advisory Services

Direct : +61 2 9286 5497
Craig.Wright () bdo com au
+61 417 683 914

BDO Kendalls (NSW-VIC) Pty. Ltd.
Level 19, 2 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000
GPO BOX 2551 Sydney NSW 2001
Fax +61 2 9993 9497
http://www.bdo.com.au/

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-----Original Message-----

From: listbounce () securityfocus com [mailto:listbounce () securityfocus com] On Behalf Of Adriel Desautels
Sent: Wednesday, 4 June 2008 7:25 AM
To: Craig Wright
Cc: Scott Race; security-basics () securityfocus com
Subject: Re: How does a customer get PCI audited?

Craig,
        You secure your systems by having an IT Security Company perform a real
good assessment. It should be either a Penetration Test or a
Vulnerability Assessment. Penetration Tests are more in-depth,
Vulnerability Assessments are more safe. If you want information on both
of those services I've got a few white-papers that we've written that
you can download. Unfortunately, it is very hard to find good vendors
these days.

Regards,
        Adriel T. Desautels
        Chief Technology Officer
        Netragard, LLC.
        Office : 617-934-0269
        Mobile : 617-633-3821
        http://www.linkedin.com/pub/1/118/a45

        Join the Netragard, LLC. Linked In Group:
        http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/48683/0B98E1705142

---------------------------------------------------------------
Netragard, LLC - http://www.netragard.com  -  "We make IT Safe"
Penetration Testing, Vulnerability Assessments, Website Security

Netragard Whitepaper Downloads:
-------------------------------
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Three Things you must know  : http://tinyurl.com/26pjsn


Craig Wright wrote:
> "What are the chances of them getting audited?"
> PCI Top level = 100%
> A break-in occurs = 99.5%
>
> A better question is how do I pass an audit and better yet, how do I secure my systems.
>
> PCI-DSS is just the tip of the iceberg for potential issues. In fact it is the low risk consideration. Think class 
> action. PCI-DSS compliance is at least a small defence. That is being ACTUALLY compliant and not just doing enough to 
> fool the QSA.
>
> Regards,
> CSW GSE LLM
>
>
> Craig Wright
> Manager, Risk Advisory Services
>
> Direct : +61 2 9286 5497
> Craig.Wright () bdo com au
> +61 417 683 914
>
> BDO Kendalls (NSW-VIC) Pty. Ltd.
> Level 19, 2 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000
> GPO BOX 2551 Sydney NSW 2001
> Fax +61 2 9993 9497
> http://www.bdo.com.au/
>
> The information in this email and any attachments is confidential. If you are not the named addressee you must not 
> read, print, copy, distribute, or use in any way this transmission or any information it contains. If you have 
> received this message in error, please notify the sender by return email, destroy all copies and delete it from your 
> system.
>
> Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender and not necessarily endorsed by BDO Kendalls. 
> You may not rely on this message as advice unless subsequently confirmed by fax or letter signed by a Partner or 
> Director of BDO Kendalls. It is your responsibility to scan this communication and any files attached for computer 
> viruses and other defects. BDO Kendalls does not accept liability for any loss or damage however caused which may 
> result from this communication or any files attached. A full version of the BDO Kendalls disclaimer, and our Privacy 
> statement, can be found on the BDO Kendalls website at http://www.bdo.com.au/ or by emailing mailto:administrator () 
> bdo com au.
>
> BDO Kendalls is a national association of separate partnerships and entities. Liability limited by a scheme approved 
> under Professional Standards Legislation.
> -----Original Message-----
>
> From: listbounce () securityfocus com [mailto:listbounce () securityfocus com] On Behalf Of Scott Race
> Sent: Tuesday, 3 June 2008 8:37 AM
> To: security-basics () securityfocus com
> Subject: How does a customer get PCI audited?
>
> I have a client (same one from a previous post) who has some pretty
> serious security issues on their network (unsecured .mdb file with
> credit card into, etc).  I will be fixing the major security holes in
> their network, but they still have PCI compliance issues, and I'm
> assuming they need to have a quarterly scan done.
>
> They've had this setup for about a year, they knows nothing about PCI
> and compliance (myself included, I am not a QSA and still learning about
> the compliance procedure).
>
> What are the chances of them getting audited?  How does all that work?
> Could they potentially fly under the radar for years?  I thought there
> was something they had to report quarterly to show they're working on
> compliance, or something.
>
> I want to be able to tell they company "Listen, here's what could happen
> if you get audited, and here's the chances of you getting audited" in
> hopes they would take it seriously.  I don't want to scare them without
> knowing the facts, first I want to know the facts, then I will scare
> them.  Thanks.
> Scott Race
> Technology Manager
>
> JD+A NETWORK SERVICES
> 1264 Hawks Flight Court, Suite 200
>
> El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
> P:  916.941.3700  |  F:  916.941.3777
>
>
> ethingHo????