Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) is assessed by third-party auditors as part of AWS's compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) . This means that AWS S3 can be configured to securely store cardholder data in accordance with PCI DSS requirements.
Customer Responsibilities for PCI Compliance
While AWS provides a PCI-compliant infrastructure, achieving full PCI compliance depends on how you configure and manage your S3 environment. Key responsibilities include:
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Data Encryption: Implement server-side encryption (SSE) for data at rest and ensure data in transit is encrypted using SSL/TLS.
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Access Controls: Define and enforce strict access policies using AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) to limit who can access or modify data in S3 buckets.
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Logging and Monitoring: Enable logging of access requests and monitor activities using AWS CloudTrail and AWS Config to detect and respond to unauthorized actions.
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Regular Audits: Conduct periodic reviews of your S3 configurations and access policies to ensure ongoing compliance with PCI DSS standards.
AWS Tools to Assist with Compliance
AWS offers several tools to help maintain PCI compliance:
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AWS Security Hub: Provides a PCI DSS standard to discover security vulnerabilities in AWS resources handling cardholder data.
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AWS Config: Assesses how well your resource configurations comply with internal practices and industry guidelines, including PCI DSS.
AWS S3 can be used to store PCI-regulated payment data securely, provided it is properly configured and managed. Leveraging AWS's security features and adhering to PCI DSS requirements will help ensure the protection of sensitive cardholder information.
