The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) is the specific and mandatory global standard for all entities that store, process, or transmit cardholder data. Its explicit purpose is to protect this sensitive information to reduce credit card fraud. The standard provides a comprehensive framework of 12 requirements, including controls for protecting stored cardholder data (at rest) and encrypting its transmission across open, public networks (in transit). For a retail chain handling customer credit card data, adherence to PCI-DSS is a contractual obligation enforced by the major payment card brands (e.g., Visa, MasterCard).

A. SOC 3: This is a public-facing report on a service organization's internal controls over security and availability, not a prescriptive standard specifically governing payment card data.

C. AES-256: This is a specific symmetric encryption algorithm. While strong encryption like AES-256 is a method used to meet PCI-DSS requirements, it is not the governing standard itself.

D. ISO 27001: This is a broad, internationally recognized standard for an Information Security Management System (ISMS). It is not specific to payment card data and is less prescriptive than PCI-DSS.

1. PCI Security Standards Council. (2022). Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard

Requirements and Security Assessment Procedures

Version 4.0. Page 8

Section "PCI DSS Applicability Information". The document states

"PCI DSS applies to all entities that store

process

and/or transmit cardholder data."

2. PCI Security Standards Council. (2022). Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard

Requirements and Security Assessment Procedures

Version 4.0. Page 48

Requirement 3 "Protect Stored Account Data"; Page 59

Requirement 4 "Protect Cardholder Data with Strong Cryptography During Transmission".

3. Rowe

B. R.

& Gallaher

M. P. (2010). Applying the PCI Data Security Standard to the University Environment. EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research. Research Bulletin

Issue 1. This university-affiliated publication explains that PCI-DSS is the "primary standard" for organizations handling cardholder data

distinguishing it from broader standards like ISO 27001.

4. Baskerville

R.

& Siponen

M. (2009). An information security meta-policy for emergent organizations. In Information systems in a globalising world: Challenges

ethics and practices (pp. 273-292). Springer. This academic text identifies PCI-DSS as a key industry-specific standard that organizations must follow for payment card processing

distinct from general security frameworks.