Comparison between ASD Essential 8 and PCI-DSS

The ASD Essential 8 is a set of eight security strategies developed by the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) to help organizations protect their information and systems from cyber threats. The Essential 8 is a comprehensive approach to cyber security that covers the most important areas of risk management and security. The Essential 8 includes: application whitelisting, patching applications, patching operating systems, restricting administrative privileges, multi-factor authentication, daily backups, user application hardening, and isolating systems from the internet. These strategies are designed to reduce the risk of cyber incidents, such as data breaches, ransomware, and other malicious activities. The Essential 8 provides organizations with a framework for implementing effective cyber security measures and improving their overall security posture.

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) is a set of security standards designed to ensure the secure handling of credit card information by organizations that process, store, or transmit cardholder data. It was created by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) to protect cardholder data from theft, fraud, and other malicious activities. The standard is applicable to any organization that processes, stores, or transmits cardholder data, regardless of size or number of transactions. PCI-DSS is divided into six main objectives: maintain a secure network, protect cardholder data, maintain a vulnerability management program, implement strong access control measures, regularly monitor and test networks, and maintain an information security policy. Each objective is further broken down into a set of requirements, which must be met in order to be compliant with the standard.

1. Both are security standards which provide guidance on how to protect sensitive data.

2. Both require organizations to assess their security posture and identify risks.

3. Both require organizations to implement technical and administrative controls to protect data.

4. Both require organizations to monitor their environment for security threats and vulnerabilities.

5. Both require organizations to have a response plan in place for security incidents.

6. Both require organizations to have a policy for data protection and encryption.

7. Both require organizations to provide employee training and awareness on security topics.

8. Both require organizations to regularly review and update their security measures.

1. ASD Essential 8 focuses on eight specific strategies to improve cybersecurity and protect organizations from cyber threats, while PCI-DSS focuses on protecting payment card data.

2. ASD Essential 8 is focused on a holistic approach to security and includes strategies such as patching, secure configurations, application whitelisting, and user access control. PCI-DSS focuses on the security of payment card data and includes strategies such as encryption, firewalls, and secure networks.

3. ASD Essential 8 is not a compliance standard, while PCI-DSS is a compliance standard that organizations must adhere to in order to accept credit card payments.

4. ASD Essential 8 is specific to Australia, while PCI-DSS is an international standard.