USE CASE

PCI DSS Compliance

Addressing PCI DSS requirements with API security and bot management

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) stands as the global framework for protecting cardholder data. Any organization that stores, processes, or transmits credit card information must comply with PCI DSS to reduce fraud risk and safeguard sensitive payment data. Attackers increasingly target APIs as the gateway to cardholder environments, exploiting weak authentication, poor logging, or unprotected endpoints. Similarly, bots automate credential stuffing, card testing, and scraping at a scale that overwhelms human defenses.

Impacts of PCI DSS Non-Compliance

Failure to comply with PCI DSS comes with sharp consequences that extend beyond fines.

Regulatory Penalties

Credit card companies can levy fines ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 per month for smaller companies, while larger companies can face fines in the millions

Breach Liability

If a breach occurs, the organization may incur card replacement and forensic investigation costs, not to mention fraud loss liability

Business Restrictions

Non-compliant organizations risk losing the ability to process card payments altogether, potentially a death blow for online businesses

Reputation Damage

PCI DSS violations signal operational negligence in safeguarding data, eroding customer trust

How Agentic Will AI Affect PCI DSS Compliance?

The rise of agentic AI introduces both opportunity and risk but has particular implications for organizations subject to PCI DSS.

To protect applications and APIs from AI-fueled attacks, organizations need solutions that can anticipate attacker tactics and offer mitigation options in the context of the business.

Real-World Examples of PCI Non-Compliance and Fines

Warner Music Group

An attack by a conglomerate of hacking groups focused on payment card data was able to acquire personal and payment information entered into several WMG websites for over two months.

Target

A third-party vendor compromise led to the theft of 40 million credit and debit cards. Investigations revealed PCI DSS control failures. The breach cost Target over $200 million in settlements and compliance upgrades.

Home Depot

Weak network segmentation exposed payment card data, resulting in the theft of 56 million card numbers. The retailer paid $25 million in settlements with card-issuing banks.

How Cequence Can Help Support PCI Compliance

PCI DSS compliance demands more than firewalls and encryption. In fact, as of April 01, 2025, PCI DSS v4.0.1 is in full effect and includes provisions that require such capabilities as exist in Cequence API Security and Bot Management including API discovery, sensitive data identification and masking, business logic abuse detection, and much more.

For organizations handling payment data, PCI DSS isn’t just a regulatory framework; it’s a critical core component of the security strategy. With agentic AI raising the stakes, only those who integrate API security and bot defenses into their compliance programs will stay ahead of the attackers and the auditors.

Additional Resources

Achieving PCI DSS 4.0.1 Compliance with API Security

PCI DSS 4.0 Compliance Requires a New Approach to API Security

The PCI DSS 4.0 Compliance Countdown

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