FAQ #1354 Diff

Yes, an entity may redact sensitive information from their PCI DSS Attestation of Compliance (AOC), providing that the Attestationresulting document contains, unredacted, all information relevant to the purpose for which the AOC is being shared.While AOCs are intended to be shared, an AOC might contain sensitive information about the entity's internal environment or security implementation that is not relevant to every organization the entity shares their AOC with. For example, it may not be necessary for a servicer provider's customers to know the city where a data center is located, or details about the technologies present in the service provider's cardholder data environment (CDE). Conversely, details about the scope and services covered by the PCI DSS assessment, the requirements assessed, and the findings of Compliance (AOC) includes allthe assessment, are relevant to the service provider's customers and should be included in the service provider's AOC.Examples of AOC sections that should not be redacted because they include information relevant to the services offered to customers. The levelpurpose of detail provided in an AOC to customers might be less than that required for compliance reporting (that is, to a payment brand or acquirer as partsharing AOCs include:

Section 1: Part 1: Contact Information
Section 1: Part 2a: Scope Verification (in Service Provider AOCs)
Section 1: Part 2f: Third-Party Service Providers
Section 1: Part 2g: Summary of the service provider?s PCI DSS validation). For example, it may not be necessary for customers to know the city where a data center is located, or details about the applications and technologies present in the cardholder data environment (CDE).

Information that is considered sensitive or confidential and is not relevant to the services offered to customers may be redacted. Where sensitive or confidential information is relevant to the services offered to customers, service providers should consider a confidentiality agreement with those customers so that such information can be freely shared.

Examples of AOC sections that should not be redacted because they include information relevant to customers include:

Part 1: Contact Information
Part 2a: Scope Verification
Part 2f: Third-Party Service Providers
Part 2g: Summary of Assessment

Section 2: Report on Compliance or Section 2: Self-AssessmentCompliance/Self-Assessment Questionnaire D for Service Providers

Section 3: Validation and Attestation Details

Sharing the AOC may be preferred to sharing the full Report on Compliance (ROC) or Self-Assessment Questionnaire. However, for the AOC to serve its purpose, the information contained within must provide a meaningful summary of the assessed environment and, in the case of service provider AOCs, clearly identify the services covered by the assessment.Where information relevant to the services offered is sensitive or confidential, entities may consider having a confidentiality agreement in place so that such information can be shared.Entities providing a redacted AOC to a payment brand or acquirer for compliance validation purposes are advised to consult with customers maythe brand or acquirer for information about their reporting requirements, because requirements regarding redaction of AOCs can vary. Contact details for the payment brands can be preferred to sharing the full validation report (the Report on Compliance (ROC) or Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) Dfound in FAQ 1142: How do I contact the payment card brands?See also FAQ #1220: Are compliance certificates recognized for Service Providers). However, for the AOC to have value to customers, the information contained within must provide a meaningful summary of the assessed environment AND provide customers with assurance that the assessment covers the services that customers use.

Note: It is not permitted to redact any content from the signed AOC prior to submitting to a payment brand or acquirer for compliance validation purposes.

Entities should contact the payment brands directly for information about their compliance programs and reporting requirements. Contact details for the payment brands can be found in FAQ 1142: How do I contact the payment card brands?

See also FAQ #1220: Are compliance certificates recognized for PCI DSS validation?