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How PCI DSS 4.0 Improves Your Security Posture

April 11, 2024

Min Read

Compliance

Meni Besso

Director of Product Management

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) sets the bar for organizations handling cardholder information - any business that stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data. With the release of version 4.0, there are significant changes on the horizon.

Staying compliant with industry standards is crucial, especially when it comes to protecting sensitive payment card data.

In this blog, we will explore how PCI DSS can enhance your security posture by establishing a continuous process to secure cardholder data.

Understanding PCI DSS v4.0

PCI DSS v4.0 brings several notable updates, emphasizing a more comprehensive and risk-based approach to data security. Companies in the payment card ecosystem must take note of these changes to ensure they remain compliant and resilient against evolving threats.

Increased Focus on Cloud and Service Providers

One of the key highlights of PCI DSS v4.0 is its focus on cloud environments and third-party service providers. As more businesses leverage cloud services for storing and processing payment data, it's imperative to extend security controls to these environments.

Expanded Scope of Requirements

With the proliferation of digital transactions, PCI DSS v4.0 expands the scope of requirements to address emerging technologies and evolving threats. The standard now covers a broader range of systems, applications, and processes involved in payment card transactions.

Emphasis on Risk-Based Approach

Recognizing that not all security threats are created equal, PCI DSS v4.0 places a greater emphasis on a risk-based approach to security. Organizations should assess risks systematically and prioritize security measures based on potential impact and likelihood of occurrence.

Enhanced Focus on Data Protection

From encryption and access control to data retention policies, organizations are expected to implement robust measures to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches. This will help mitigate the risk of data theft and ensure compliance with regulatory standards.

New PCI DSS 4.0 Release Implementation by March 2025

Out of the 64 of the new requirements, 51 are future dated due to their complexity and/or cost of implementation. This is relevant and important for any business that stores, processes or transmits cardholder data.

Further, it is crucial to focus on establishing a continuous process:

Automated log analysis for threat detection (Req: 10.4.1.1)
On-going review of access to sensitive data (Req: 7.2.4)
Detection of stored PAN anywhere it is not expected (Req: 12.10.7)

How Sentra Helps Comply With PCI DSS 4.0

Below are a few examples of how Sentra can assist you in complying with PCI DSS 4.0 by continuously monitoring your environment for threats and vulnerabilities.

In today's threat landscape, security is an ongoing process. PCI DSS v4.0 emphasizes the importance of continuous monitoring and testing to detect and respond to security incidents in real-time. By implementing automated monitoring tools and conducting regular security assessments, organizations can proactively identify vulnerabilities and address them before they are exploited by attackers.

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PCI DSS 4.0 New Requirement	How Sentra Solves It
10.4.1.1 Automated mechanisms are used to perform audit log reviews.	Sentra's Data Detection and Response (DDR) module continuously monitors logs from sensitive data stores, identifying threats and anomalies in real time that may indicate potential data breaches or unauthorized access to sensitive data.
7.2.4 All user accounts and related access privileges, including third party/vendor accounts, are reviewed as follows: At least once every six months. Ensure user accounts and access remain appropriate based on job function. Any inappropriate access is addressed. Management acknowledges that access remains appropriate.	Sentra's Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) data access module frequently scans your sensitive data stores, mapping out the various identities with access to your data, including third-party entities, internal users, and applications. This aids in ensuring least privilege access and allows for the analysis of each identity's security posture through a risk-based approach.
12.10.7 Incident response procedures are in place, to be initiated upon the detection of stored PAN anywhere it is not expected, and include: Determining what to do if PAN is discovered outside the CDE, including its retrieval, secure deletion, and/or migration into the currently defined CDE, as applicable. Identifying whether sensitive authentication data is stored with PAN. Determining where the account data came from and how it ended up where it was not expected. Remediating data leaks or process gaps that resulted in the account data being where it was not expected.	Sentra's scanning and classification engine detects all types of sensitive data, including PII, digital identities, and financial data, especially PAN, across all your cloud accounts. It highlights potential "shadow data" suspected of being misplaced. Additionally, Sentra's DataTreks module tracks the movement of sensitive data across accounts, regions, and environments, helping you understand the root cause and take preventive steps.

Use Sentra's Reporting Capabilities to Adhere With PCI DSS

Here you can see a detected S3 bucket which contains credit card numbers and personal information which are not properly encrypted.

This is an example of how Sentra creates a threat in real time, detecting suspicious activity in a sensitive AWS S3 bucket.

In the dashboard below, you can see open security issues grouped by different compliances frameworks.

Proactive Integration of New Compliance Controls

‍Sentra remains vigilant in staying up to date with changes in PCI-DSS, GDPR, CCPA and other compliance frameworks. To ensure continuous compliance and security, Sentra actively monitors updates and integrates new controls as they become available. This proactive approach allows users to automate the validation process on an ongoing basis, ensuring that they always adhere to the latest standards and maintain a robust security posture.

‍Implementation Timeline and Best Practices

It's essential for relevant companies to understand the implementation timeline for PCI DSS v4.0. With a two-phase approach, certain requirements are future-dated due to their complexity or cost of implementation. However, it's crucial not to overlook these future requirements, as they will eventually become mandatory for compliance.

These requirements will be considered best practices until March 31, 2025, after which they will become obligatory. This transition period allows organizations to gradually adapt to the new standards while ensuring they meet current compliance requirements.

Conclusion

As the payment card industry continues to evolve, so must the security measures used to protect sensitive data. PCI DSS v4.0 represents a significant step forward in enhancing data security and resilience against emerging threats. Understanding the key changes and implementation timeline is crucial for companies to proactively adapt to the new standard and maintain compliance in an ever-changing regulatory landscape.

Sentra plays a pivotal role in this ongoing compliance effort. Its comprehensive features align closely with the requirements of PCI DSS v4.0, providing automated log analysis for threat detection, ongoing review of access to sensitive data, and detection of stored PAN outside expected locations. Through Sentra's Data Detection and Response (DDR) module, organizations can continuously monitor logs from sensitive data stores, identifying threats and anomalies in real-time, thus aiding in compliance with PCI DSS 4.0 requirements such as automated log reviews.

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Furthermore, Sentra's Data Security and Posture Management (DSPM) module facilitates the review of user accounts and access privileges, ensuring that access remains appropriate based on job function and addressing any inappropriate access, in line with PCI DSS v4.0 requirements. In addition, Sentra's scanning and classification engine, coupled with its DataTreks module, assists in incident response procedures by detecting all types of sensitive data, including PAN, across cloud accounts and tracking the movement of sensitive data, aiding in the remediation of data leaks or process gaps.

By leveraging these capabilities, organizations can streamline their compliance efforts, mitigate risks, and maintain the security and integrity of cardholder data in accordance with PCI DSS v4.0 requirements.

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Meni Besso

Director of Product Management

Meni is an experienced product manager and the former founder of Pixibots (A mobile applications studio). In the past 15 years, he gained expertise in various industries such as: e-commerce, cloud management, dev-tools, mobile games, and more. He is passionate about delivering high quality technical products, that are intuitive and easy to use.

Latest Blog Posts

Yogev Wallach

August 11, 2025

Min Read

AI and ML

How to Secure Regulated Data in Microsoft 365 Copilot

Microsoft 365 Copilot is a game-changer, embedding generative AI directly into your favorite tools like Word, Outlook, and Teams, and giving productivity a huge boost. But for governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) officers and CISOs, this exciting new innovation also brings new questions about governing sensitive data.

So, how can your organization truly harness Copilot safely without risking compliance? What are Microsoft 365 Copilot security best practices?

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Frameworks like NIST’s AI Risk Management and the EU AI Act offer broad guidance, but they don't prescribe exact controls. At Sentra, we recommend a practical approach: treat Copilot as a sensitive data store capable of serving up data (including highly sensitive, regulated information).

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This means applying rigorous data security measures to maintain compliance. Specifically, you'll need to know precisely what data Copilot can access, secure it, clearly map access, and continuously monitor your overall data security posture.

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We tackle Copilot security through two critical DSPM concepts: Sanitization and Governance.

1. Sanitization: Minimize Unnecessary Data Exposure

Think of Copilot as an incredibly powerful search engine. It can potentially surface sensitive data hidden across countless repositories. To prevent unintended leaks, your crucial first step is to minimize the amount of sensitive data Copilot can access.

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Address Shadow Data and Oversharing

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It's common for organizations to have sensitive data lurking in overlooked locations or within overshared files. Copilot's incredible search capabilities can suddenly bring these vulnerabilities to light. Imagine a confidential HR spreadsheet, accidentally shared too broadly, now easily summarized by Copilot for anyone who asks.

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The solution? Conduct thorough data housekeeping. This means identifying, archiving, or deleting redundant, outdated, or improperly shared information. Crucially, enforce least privilege access by actively auditing and tightening permissions – ensuring only essential identities have access to sensitive content.

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How Sentra Helps

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Sentra's DSPM solution leverages advanced AI technologies (like OCR, NER, and embeddings) to automatically discover and classify sensitive data across your entire Microsoft 365 environment. Our intuitive dashboards quickly highlight redundant files, shadow data, and overexposed folders. What's more, we meticulously map access at the identity level, clearly showing which users can access what specific sensitive data – enabling rapid remediation.

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For example, in the screenshot below, you'll see a detailed view of an identity (Jacob Simmons) within our system. This includes a concise summary of the sensitive data classes they can access, alongside a complete list of accessible data stores and data assets.

2. Governance: Control AI Output to Prevent Data Leakage

Even after thorough sanitization, some sensitive data must remain accessible within your environment. This is where robust governance comes in, ensuring that Copilot's output never becomes an unintentional vehicle for sensitive data leakage.

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Why Output Governance Matters

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Without proper controls, Copilot could inadvertently include sensitive details in its generated content or responses. This risk could lead to unauthorized sharing, unchecked sensitive data sprawl, or severe regulatory breaches. The recent EchoLeak vulnerability, for instance, starkly demonstrated how attackers might exploit AI-generated outputs to silently leak critical information.

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Leveraging DLP and Sensitivity Labels

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Microsoft 365’s Purview Information Protection and DLP policies are powerful tools that allow organizations to control what Copilot can output. Properly labeled sensitive data, such as documents marked “Confidential – Financial,” prompt Copilot to restrict content output, providing users only with references or links rather than sensitive details.

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Sentra’s Governance Capabilities

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Sentra automatically classifies your data and intelligently applies MPIP sensitivity labels, directly powering Copilot’s critical DLP policies. Our platform integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Purview, ensuring sensitive files are accurately labeled based on flexible, custom business logic. This guarantees that Copilot's outputs remain fully compliant with your active DLP policies.

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Below is an example of Sentra’s MPIP label automation in action, showing how we place sensitivity labels on data assets that contain Facebook profile URLs and credit card numbers belonging to EU citizens, which were modified in the past year:

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Additionally, our continuous monitoring and real-time alerts empower organizations to immediately address policy violations – for instance, sensitive data with missing or incorrect MPIP labels – helping you maintain audit readiness and seamless compliance alignment.

sentra mpip label automation sensitive data microsoft purview information protection automation

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A Data-Centric Security Approach to AI Adoption

By strategically combining robust sanitization and strong governance, you ensure your regulated data remains secure while enabling safe and compliant Copilot adoption across your organization. This approach aligns directly with the core principles outlined by NIST and the EU AI Act, effectively translating high-level compliance guidance into actionable, practical controls.

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At Sentra, our mission is clear: to empower secure AI innovation through comprehensive data visibility and truly automated compliance. Our cutting-edge solutions provide the transparency and granular control you need to confidently embrace Copilot’s powerful capabilities, all without risking costly compliance violations.

Next Steps

Adopting Microsoft 365 Copilot securely doesn’t have to be complicated. By leveraging Sentra’s comprehensive DSPM solutions, your organization can create a secure environment where Copilot can safely enhance productivity without ever exposing your regulated data.

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Ready to take control? Contact a Sentra expert today to learn more about seamlessly securing your sensitive data and confidently deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot.

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Yair Cohen

Gilad Golani

August 5, 2025

Min Read

Data Security

How Automated Remediation Enables Proactive Data Protection at Scale

Scaling Automated Data Security in Cloud and AI Environments

Modern cloud and AI environments move faster than human response. By the time a manual workflow catches up, sensitive data may already be at risk. Organizations need automated remediation to reduce response time, enforce policy at scale, and safeguard sensitive data the moment it becomes exposed. Comprehensive data discovery and accurate data classification are foundational to this effort. Without knowing what data exists and how it's handled, automation can't succeed.

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Sentra’s cloud-native Data Security Platform (DSP) delivers precisely that. With built-in, context-aware automation, data discovery, and classification, Sentra empowers security teams to shift from reactive alerting to proactive defense. From discovery to remediation, every step is designed for precision, speed, and seamless integration into your existing security stack. precisely that. With built-in, context-aware automation, Sentra empowers security teams to shift from reactive alerting to proactive defense. From discovery to remediation, every step is designed for precision, speed, and seamless integration into your existing security stack.

Automated Remediation: Turning Data Risk Into Action

Sentra doesn't just detect risk, it acts. At the core of its value is its ability to execute automated remediation through native integrations and a powerful API-first architecture. This lets organizations immediately address data risks without waiting for manual intervention.

Key Use Cases for Automated Data Remediation

Sensitive Data Tagging & Classification Automation

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Sentra accurately classifies and tags sensitive data across environments like Microsoft 365, Amazon S3, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. Its Automation Rules Page enables dynamic labels based on data type and context, empowering downstream tools to apply precise protections.

Sensitive Data Tagging and Classification Automation in Microsoft Purview

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‍Automated Access Revocation & Insider Risk Mitigation

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Sentra identifies excessive or inappropriate access and revokes it in real time. With integrations into IAM and CNAPP tools, it enforces least-privilege access. Advanced use cases include Just-In-Time (JIT) access via SOAR tools like Tines or Torq.

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Enforced Data Encryption & Masking Automation

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Sentra ensures sensitive data is encrypted and masked through integrations with Microsoft Purview, Snowflake DDM, and others. It can remediate misclassified or exposed data and apply the appropriate controls, reducing exposure and improving compliance.

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Integrated Remediation Workflow Automation

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Sentra streamlines incident response by triggering alerts and tickets in ServiceNow, Jira, and Splunk. Context-rich events accelerate triage and support policy-driven automated remediation workflows.

Architecture Built for Scalable Security Automation

Cloud & AI Data Visibility with Actionable Remediation

Sentra provides visibility across AWS, Azure, GCP, and M365 while minimizing data movement. It surfaces actionable guidance, such as missing logging or improper configurations, for immediate remediation.

Dynamic Policy Enforcement via Tagging

Sentra’s tagging flows directly into cloud-native services and DLP platforms, powering dynamic, context-aware policy enforcement.

API-First Architecture for Security Automation

With a REST API-first design, Sentra integrates seamlessly with security stacks and enables full customization of workflows, dashboards, and automation pipelines.

Why Sentra for Automated Remediation?

Sentra offers a unified platform for security teams that need visibility, precision, and automation at scale. Its advantages include:

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No agents or connectors required
High-accuracy data classification for confident automation
Deep integration with leading security and IT platforms
Context-rich tagging to drive intelligent enforcement
Built-in data discovery that powers proactive policy decisions
OpenAPI interface for tailored remediation workflows

These capabilities are particularly valuable for CISOs, Heads of Data Security, and AI Security teams tasked with securing sensitive data in complex, distributed environments.

Automate Data Remediation and Strengthen Cloud Security

Today’s cloud and AI environments demand more than visibility, they require decisive, automated action. Security leaders can no longer afford to rely on manual processes when sensitive data is constantly in motion.

Sentra delivers the speed, precision, and context required to protect what matters most. By embedding automated remediation into core security workflows, organizations can eliminate blind spots, respond instantly to risk, and ensure compliance at scale.

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Ward Balcerzak

July 30, 2025

Min Read

Data Security

How Sentra is Redefining Data Security at Black Hat 2025

As we move deeper into 2025, the cybersecurity landscape is experiencing a profound shift. AI-driven threats are becoming more sophisticated, cloud misconfigurations remain a persistent risk, and data breaches continue to grow in scale and cost.

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In this rapidly evolving environment, traditional security approaches are no longer enough. At Black Hat USA 2025, Sentra will demonstrate how security teams can stay ahead of the curve through data-centric strategies that focus on visibility, risk reduction, and real-time response. Join us on August 4-8 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas to learn how Sentra’s platform is reshaping the future of cloud data security.

Understanding the Stakes: 2024’s Security Trends

Recent industry data underscores the urgency facing security leaders. Ransomware accounted for 35% of all cyberattacks in 2024 - an 84% increase over the prior year. Misconfigurations continue to be a leading cause of cloud incidents, contributing to nearly a quarter of security events. Phishing remains the most common vector for credential theft, and the use of AI by attackers has moved from experimental to mainstream.

These trends point to a critical shift: attackers are no longer just targeting infrastructure or endpoints. They are going straight for the data.

Why Data-Centric Security Must Be the Focus in 2025

The acceleration of multi-cloud adoption has introduced significant complexity. Sensitive data now resides across AWS, Azure, GCP, and SaaS platforms like Snowflake and Databricks. However, most organizations still struggle with foundational visibility - not knowing where all their sensitive data lives, who has access to it, or how it is being used.

Sentra’s approach to Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) is built to solve this problem. Our platform enables security teams to continuously discover, identify, classify, and secure sensitive data across their cloud environments, and to do so in real time, without agents or manual tagging.

Sentra at Black Hat USA 2025: What to Expect

At this year’s conference, Sentra will be showcasing how our DSPM and Data Detection and Response (DDR) capabilities help organizations proactively defend their data against evolving threats. Our live demonstrations will highlight how we uncover shadow data across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, detect abnormal access patterns indicating insider threats, and automate compliance mapping for frameworks such as GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and SOX. Attendees will also gain visibility into how our platform enables data-aware threat detection that goes beyond traditional SIEM tools.

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In addition to product walkthroughs, we’ll be sharing real-world success stories from our customers - including a fintech company that reduced its cloud data risk by 60% in under a month, and a global healthtech provider that cut its audit prep time from three weeks to just two days using Sentra’s automated controls.

Exclusive Experiences for Security Leaders

Beyond the show floor, Sentra will be hosting a VIP Security Leaders Dinner on August 5 - an invitation-only evening of strategic conversations with CISOs, security architects, and data governance leaders. The event will feature roundtable discussions on 2025’s biggest cloud data security challenges and emerging best practices.

For those looking for deeper engagement, we’re also offering one-on-one strategy sessions with our experts. These personalized consultations will focus on helping security leaders evaluate their current DSPM posture, identify key areas of risk, and map out a tailored approach to implementing Sentra’s platform within their environment.

Why Security Teams Choose Sentra

Sentra has emerged as a trusted partner for organizations tackling the challenges of modern data security. We were named a "Customers’ Choice" in the Gartner Peer Insights Voice of the Customer report for DSPM, with a 98% recommendation rate and an average rating of 4.9 out of 5. GigaOm also recognized Sentra as a Leader in its 2024 Radar reports for both DSPM and Data Security Platforms.

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More importantly, Sentra is helping real organizations address the realities of cloud-native risk. As security perimeters dissolve and sensitive data becomes more distributed, our platform provides the context, automation, and visibility needed to protect it.

Meet Sentra at Booth 4408

Black Hat USA 2025 offers a critical opportunity for security leaders to re-evaluate their strategies in the face of AI-powered attacks, rising cloud complexity, and increasing regulatory pressure. Whether you are just starting to explore DSPM or are looking to enhance your existing security investments, Sentra’s team will be available for live demos, expert guidance, and strategic insights throughout the event.

Visit us at Booth 4408 to see firsthand how Sentra can help your organization secure what matters most - your data.

Register or Book a Session

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