Third-Party PCI Exposure
In cybersecurity, third-party PCI exposure refers to the security risks and vulnerabilities introduced into an organization's payment card data environment (CDE) by external entities that have access to or directly handle sensitive payment card information on its behalf. It's the risk that a compromise at a vendor, supplier, or service provider could directly or indirectly lead to a breach of the organization's Cardholder Data Environment (CDE) or a PCI DSS non-compliance event.
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) explicitly recognizes that an organization's security posture is only as strong as its weakest link, and third parties often represent a significant and complex link. This exposure arises from various relationships and access types:
Direct Access to CDE: Vendors who log into, manage, or maintain systems directly within the organization's CDE (e.g., managed security service providers, IT support, POS system maintainers).
Storage, Processing, or Transmission of CHD: Service providers who handle payment data on the organization's behalf, even if they don't directly access the organization's CDE (e.g., payment gateways, cloud hosting providers for payment data, e-commerce platforms, customer relationship management (CRM) systems storing payment details).
Indirect Influence/Access: Third parties who might not directly touch CHD but whose compromise could create a pathway to it (e.g., vendors providing network infrastructure, general IT services, or even software libraries used in payment applications).
Supply Chain Vulnerabilities: Risks originating from the broader supply chain of software, hardware, or services that eventually contribute to the payment processing infrastructure.
Key aspects of managing and understanding Third-Party PCI Exposure include:
Due Diligence: Thoroughly vetting potential third-party vendors' security practices and PCI DSS compliance before engagement.
Contractual Agreements: Establishing clear contracts that define security responsibilities, require PCI DSS compliance (or equivalent security measures), and outline audit rights and incident notification procedures.
Ongoing Monitoring: Continuously assessing the security posture of active third-party vendors, as their vulnerabilities can change over time. This includes reviewing compliance attestations (e.g., AOCs), performing security questionnaires, and conducting external security assessments.
Access Management: Ensuring that third-party access to the CDE or CHD is granted only on a "need-to-know" and "least privilege" basis, with strong authentication (e.g., MFA) and comprehensive logging.
Incident Response Coordination: Establishing pre-defined processes for handling security incidents involving third parties, including communication, investigation, containment, and notification responsibilities.
Data Flow Mapping: Understanding exactly where payment data flows through third-party systems and ensuring appropriate security controls are in place at each touchpoint.
The challenge of Third-Party PCI Exposure lies in the fact that organizations have less direct control over external vendors' environments. Effective management requires a robust vendor risk management program integrated with the overall cybersecurity strategy to ensure that security standards are consistently met across the entire payment ecosystem.
ThreatNG, an all-in-one external attack surface management, digital risk protection, and security ratings solution, can significantly help organizations address Third-Party PCI Exposure by providing a continuous, attacker-eye view of the external security posture of their digital ecosystem, including their third-party vendors and partners.
External Discovery & Continuous Monitoring
ThreatNG performs purely external, unauthenticated discovery, identifying assets and risks from an attacker's perspective without needing connectors. This is critical for managing Third-Party PCI Exposure because it can uncover unknown or rogue assets belonging to third parties that might be storing, processing, or transmitting cardholder data (CHD) on the organization's behalf. ThreatNG continuously monitors an organization's external attack surface, digital risk, and security ratings, which extends to tracking assets associated with third parties through its "Dynamic Entity Management". This ongoing monitoring ensures that new exposures or changes to existing assets within the third-party ecosystem that could impact CHD security are immediately identified, providing real-time visibility into potential risks.
Examples of ThreatNG's help:
Identifying Undocumented Third-Party Assets: ThreatNG can discover "Applications Identified" and subdomains used by third-party vendors or payment processors that the organization might not have formally tracked. If these applications handle CHD, their discovery is vital for managing Third-Party PCI Exposure, ensuring they are inventoried and secured according to PCI DSS Requirement 1.4.2 (maintaining an inventory of system components in scope). ThreatNG's continuous discovery helps ensure all such interfaces are known, tracked, and subject to proper security governance.
Detecting New Exposures from Misconfigurations in Third-Party Systems: Through continuous monitoring, ThreatNG can identify newly exposed services on non-standard ports, as indicated by "Custom Port Scan" results, or misconfigured cloud buckets belonging to partners, as determined by "Files in Open Cloud Buckets". ThreatNG's immediate identification allows for proactive risk mitigation if these exposures exist in the third-party payment ecosystem.
ThreatNG performs a variety of external assessments that directly contribute to managing Third-Party PCI Exposure by highlighting potential attack vectors and data leakage points originating from third parties:
Supply Chain & Third Party Exposure: This assessment is derived from Domain Intelligence (Enumeration of Vendor Technologies from DNS and Subdomains), Technology Stack, and Cloud and SaaS Exposure. This directly assesses the external security posture of the extended payment ecosystem.
Example: ThreatNG's assessment can reveal "Files in Open Cloud Buckets" belonging to a third-party payment processor that are publicly accessible. This highlights a critical Third-Party PCI Exposure as it could expose CHD handled by the third party, indicating a potential violation of PCI DSS Requirement 3.1.1 (retaining data only if required) and 7.2.1 (restricting access).
BEC & Phishing Susceptibility: This assessment is derived from Sentiment and Financials Findings, Domain Intelligence (including Domain Name Permutations and Email Intelligence for email security presence and format prediction), and Dark Web Presence (Compromised Credentials). Phishing campaigns often target individuals across the payment ecosystem to gain access to third-party systems.
Example: ThreatNG identifying "Domain Name Permutations - Taken with Mail Record" indicates a high-confidence phishing infrastructure that could target customers or employees of a third-party vendor within the payment ecosystem. This allows for proactive measures to protect against phishing attempts (PCI DSS 5.4.1).
Example: ThreatNG's assessment revealing "Compromised Emails" of individuals within the organization or its partners indicates a direct threat to the payment ecosystem, as these credentials could be used to gain unauthorized access (PCI DSS 8.3.1).
Mobile App Exposure: ThreatNG evaluates an organization's mobile app exposure by discovering them in marketplaces and analyzing their content for "Access Credentials" and "Security Credentials." If a third party develops or hosts an app that is part of the payment process, this represents a key component of the ecosystem's exposure.
Example: ThreatNG identifying "Mobile Application Exposure Sensitive Information Found" means sensitive data, such as API keys related to payment processing, is present within a third-party mobile application. This highlights a Third-Party PCI Exposure, pointing to potential violations of PCI DSS Requirement 3.2 (not storing sensitive authentication data).
Breach & Ransomware Susceptibility: This assessment considers exposed sensitive ports, private IPs, known vulnerabilities, compromised credentials, and ransomware events/gang activity. Ransomware attacks on third parties can severely disrupt payment operations and compromise CHD.
Example: ThreatNG identifying "Ransomware Events" associated with a critical third-party in an organization's payment chain provides vital intelligence on a Third-Party PCI Exposure. This prompts immediate incident response (PCI DSS 12.10.5) to protect CHD and maintain business continuity within the ecosystem.
ThreatNG provides comprehensive reports, including "Prioritized (High, Medium, Low, and Informational)" reports, "Security Ratings", "Inventory", and "External GRC Assessment Mappings (eg, PCI DSS)". These reports are invaluable for communicating and addressing Third-Party PCI Exposures:
The Inventory report helps to visualize and track all assets, including those of third parties, contributing to the payment ecosystem.
External GRC Assessment Mappings allow organizations to see how discovered external risks within their ecosystem, like misconfigured cloud services, align with specific PCI DSS requirements. This aids in prioritizing remediation efforts for exposures that most directly impact CHD security across the entire payment chain.
Reports on "Ransomware Susceptibility" or "Data Leak Susceptibility" provide focused insights into high-impact risks within the payment ecosystem, particularly those arising from third parties.
ThreatNG's core capability is "Continuous Monitoring of external attack surface, digital risk, and security ratings of all organizations". This is fundamental to managing Third-Party PCI Exposure, as risks can emerge anytime due to new deployments, configuration changes, or evolving threats within any part of the payment chain. Continuous monitoring ensures that potential hazards are identified as soon as they appear, providing real-time awareness and allowing for prompt remediation. ThreatNG's "Dynamic Entity Management" also defines and tracks third-party vendors.
ThreatNG's investigation modules provide detailed insights that are critical for understanding and managing Third-Party PCI Exposures:
Domain Intelligence: This module comprehensively overviews an organization's digital presence, including DNS Intelligence (Domain Record Analysis, Domain Name Permutations, Web3 Domains), Email Intelligence, WHOIS Intelligence, and Subdomain Intelligence.
Example: Through Domain Name Permutations—Taken or Web3 Domains—Taken, ThreatNG can identify look-alike domains that could be used for phishing attacks against customers or employees of a third-party payment provider, revealing a Third-Party PCI Exposure related to fraud and credential theft (PCI DSS 5.4.1).
Example: When ThreatNG performs a "Default Port Scan" as part of its Subdomain Intelligence, it identifies externally exposed ports on a payment gateway's infrastructure. Suppose sensitive ports like a database (e.g., SQL Server) or remote access ports (e.g., RDP) are open. In that case, this indicates a significant third-party PCI exposure that could allow unauthorized access to CHD and require immediate action (PCI DSS 1.2.1).
Sensitive Code Exposure: This module discovers public code repositories and uncovers digital risks that include "Access Credentials" (like API Keys, Access Tokens, Generic Credentials, Cloud Credentials) and "Security Credentials" (like Cryptographic Keys).
Example: If ThreatNG finds "Code Secrets Found," such as a "Stripe API key" or "PayPal Braintree Access Token," in a public repository belonging to the organization or a third-party developer, these represent direct Third-Party PCI Exposures. Attackers could use these keys to access payment systems, leading to CHD exposure and violating PCI DSS 4.1 (strong cryptography) and 6.6 (application layer security).
Cloud and SaaS Exposure: ThreatNG discovers "Sanctioned Cloud Services," "Unsanctioned Cloud Services," "Cloud Service Impersonations," and "Open Exposed Cloud Buckets" across major providers.
Example: Discovering an "Open Exposed Cloud Bucket" containing payment-related data (e.g., transaction logs) from a third-party CRM system directly reveals a Third-Party PCI Exposure. This highlights the need for the third party to restrict access (PCI DSS 7.2.1) and ensure any stored PAN is unreadable (PCI DSS 3.4.1).
Intelligence Repositories (DarCache)
ThreatNG's continuously updated intelligence repositories provide vital context for enriching Third-Party PCI Exposure management by providing threat context and vulnerability details:
Dark Web (DarCache Dark Web): This includes "Compromised Credentials (DarCache Rupture)" and "Ransomware Groups and Activities (DarCache Ransomware)".
Example: "DarCache Rupture" (Compromised Credentials) identifies leaked usernames and passwords. Suppose these credentials belong to personnel with access to any part of the third-party payment ecosystem. This intelligence is critical for managing Third-Party PCI Exposure, as it indicates a direct pathway for unauthorized access (PCI DSS 8.3.1).
Example: "DarCache Ransomware" tracks over 70 ransomware gangs and their activities. Suppose a highly active ransomware group targeting organizations in the payment sector is identified. In that case, this immediately informs the assessment of Third-Party PCI Exposure, prompting proactive defenses and incident response preparedness (PCI DSS 12.10.5).
Vulnerabilities (DarCache Vulnerability): This includes NVD (DarCache NVD), EPSS (DarCache EPSS), KEV (DarCache KEV), and Verified Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Exploits (DarCache eXploit) .
Example: "DarCache KEV" identifies "Vulnerabilities actively exploiting in the wild". Suppose ThreatNG detects an internet-facing asset within the third-party payment ecosystem (e.g., a web server for a payment gateway) with a KEV vulnerability. In that case, this intelligence immediately highlights an active Third-Party PCI Exposure, mandating rapid patching prioritization (PCI DSS 6.2.3). "DarCache eXploit" provides direct links to PoC exploits, enabling security teams to reproduce vulnerabilities and understand their real-world impact to develop effective mitigation strategies, enhancing Third-Party PCI Exposure monitoring.
Working with Complementary Solutions
ThreatNG's capabilities create powerful synergies when combined with other cybersecurity solutions, significantly enhancing an organization's efforts to manage Third-Party PCI Exposure.
Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) Platforms: ThreatNG's "Supply Chain & Third Party Exposure" assessment can feed directly into TPRM platforms.
Example: ThreatNG identifies a third-party payment processor with "Open Exposed Cloud Buckets". This external risk intelligence can be automatically pulled into a TPRM platform, allowing the organization to trigger a formal risk assessment with the vendor, verify their PCI DSS compliance (PCI DSS 12.8), and enforce contractual obligations.
Digital Risk Protection (DRP) Solutions: ThreatNG's "BEC & Phishing Susceptibility" and "Brand Damage Susceptibility" assessments, which include identifying "Domain Name Permutations - Taken" and "Dark Web Presence", align closely with the broader scope of DRP.
Example: ThreatNG's discovery of "Domain Name Permutations - Taken with Mail Record" (suggesting a phishing site targeting customers or third-party employees) can be fed into a DRP solution. The DRP solution can then monitor these domains for active phishing campaigns, automatically block them, and initiate takedown procedures, significantly reducing the risk of fraud within the payment ecosystem (PCI DSS 5.4.1).
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Systems: ThreatNG's continuous monitoring provides alerts on suspicious external activities that could indicate threats across the payment ecosystem.
Example: When ThreatNG identifies "Compromised Emails" of employees or those of a critical payment partner, this intelligence can be fed into the SIEM. The SIEM can then correlate this with login attempts or unusual activity patterns related to payment systems, potentially detecting a breach from a compromised credential within the payment ecosystem (PCI DSS 10.4.1.1).
Incident Response (IR) Platforms: ThreatNG's immediate identification of "Ransomware Events" or "Compromised Credentials" related to the payment ecosystem triggers a need for rapid response.
Example: Upon detecting a ransomware event affecting a payment-processing server, ThreatNG's alert can automatically initiate an incident response playbook in an IR platform. This streamlines the process of containment, forensic investigation, and communication across all affected components of the payment ecosystem, directly supporting PCI DSS 12.10.5 (responding to alerts).
Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) Tools: ThreatNG's "Cloud and SaaS Exposure" capability identifies externally exposed cloud resources and misconfigurations, including those used by third parties in the payment ecosystem.
Example: ThreatNG might discover an "Open Exposed Cloud Bucket" that belongs to a cloud service provider used for payment data. This Third-Party PCI Exposure insight can trigger a more granular internal scan by a CSPM tool (if applicable to the customer's cloud environment) to confirm data presence, assess misconfigurations, and ensure access controls are aligned with PCI DSS 7.2.1 (restrict access based on need-to-know) and 3.4.1 (render stored PAN unreadable).
