PCI DSS 3.2.1 Overview
PCI DSS 3.2.1 is the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard released in 2018 by the PCI Security Standards Council.
It established technical and operational requirements for protecting cardholder data across merchants, service providers, and payment processors.
Although now superseded by PCI DSS 4.0.1, version 3.2.1 remains historically significant as the baseline framework that formalized global payment security.
Purpose of PCI DSS 3.2.1
The goal of PCI DSS 3.2.1 was to reduce credit card fraud and data breaches by enforcing consistent controls across the payment ecosystem. It unified security practices for storing, processing, and transmitting cardholder data.
Scope and Applicability
The standard applied to all entities that handled cardholder data (CHD) or sensitive authentication data (SAD), including merchants, processors, acquirers, issuers, and service providers. Systems, networks, and applications that could affect CHD security were considered in scope.
What the Standard Covered
PCI DSS 3.2.1 defined 12 core requirements grouped into six control objectives:
Build and maintain secure networks and systems.
Protect cardholder data.
Maintain a vulnerability management program.
Implement strong access control measures.
Regularly monitor and test networks.
Maintain an information security policy.
It also mandated quarterly vulnerability scans and annual penetration testing.
Certification and Assessment
Compliance was validated through Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQs) or Reports on Compliance (ROCs) prepared by Qualified Security Assessors (QSAs).
Merchant levels determined the assessment type required.
Implementation and Continuous Compliance
Organizations were expected to maintain configuration standards, patch management, encryption practices, and ongoing monitoring to protect CHD. Although version 3.2.1 has been replaced, many of its requirements continue as the foundation of PCI DSS 4.0.1.
PCI DSS 3.2.1 in DSALTA
DSALTA helps organizations archive legacy PCI DSS 3.2.1 evidence and map existing controls to newer versions.
Users can maintain historic audit records and track remediation status as part of broader payment security programs.