Frequently Asked Question
Why does the PCI P2PE standard require SRED for PCI approved Point-of-Interaction (POI) devices?
This is a Technical FAQ for P2PE versions 1.x. This is a "normative" FAQ that is considered to be part of the P2PE requirements and shall be considered during a P2PE assessment in the same light as the published P2PE standard. These technical FAQs are also published together in "Technical FAQs for use with P2PE Versions 1.x" available in the Documents Library of this website.
The PCI PIN Transaction Security (PTS) standard was originally intended to provide physical and logical protection for PIN entry devices (PEDs). This protection only focused on PIN data, and all sensitive items associated with PIN data (e.g., electronic components, pathways, cryptographic keys, etc.) The additional SRED (Secure Reading and Exchange of Data) module was introduced in v3.0 of the PTS POI standard. The SRED module provides a standardized approach to protecting account data, thereby enhancing the baseline protection provided by the PTS POI core requirements. Securing account data extends well beyond just using encryption. SRED requirements include protecting the PAN during its entire existence within the POI device, protecting any associated sensitive data or functions, and encrypting account data transmissions as they leave the POI device. For these reasons, a PCI P2PE solution requires that plaintext account data be captured, processed and encrypted only by PCI approved POI devices with SRED.
The PCI PIN Transaction Security (PTS) standard was originally intended to provide physical and logical protection for PIN entry devices (PEDs). This protection only focused on PIN data, and all sensitive items associated with PIN data (e.g., electronic components, pathways, cryptographic keys, etc.) The additional SRED (Secure Reading and Exchange of Data) module was introduced in v3.0 of the PTS POI standard. The SRED module provides a standardized approach to protecting account data, thereby enhancing the baseline protection provided by the PTS POI core requirements. Securing account data extends well beyond just using encryption. SRED requirements include protecting the PAN during its entire existence within the POI device, protecting any associated sensitive data or functions, and encrypting account data transmissions as they leave the POI device. For these reasons, a PCI P2PE solution requires that plaintext account data be captured, processed and encrypted only by PCI approved POI devices with SRED.
June 2016
Article Number: 1342