External Vulnerability Scans
Description
External vulnerability scans must be performed quarterly by an Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV) for organizations subject to PCI Validation.
⚠️ Risk Impact
External scans validate the public-facing perimeter from an attacker's perspective. Without ASV scans, you cannot validate PCI compliance attestation.
🔍 How EchelonGraph Detects This
EchelonGraph's Tier 1 Cloud Scanner automatically checks for this condition across all connected cloud accounts. Violations are flagged as high-severity findings with remediation guidance.
🔧 Remediation
Engage a PCI ASV. Quarterly scans of all public-facing systems. Remediate failing scans before next quarter. Document.
💀 Real-World Attack Scenario
A merchant's quarterly ASV scan failed due to a high-severity CVE. The team didn't remediate before the next quarterly scan. Card brands escalated; acquiring bank suspended card processing for 11 days. Lost revenue: $4.2M.
💰 Cost of Non-Compliance
PCI 11.4 failures result in compliance attestation suspension. Card-processing suspension cost: $X per day.
📋 Audit Questions
- 1.ASV engagement evidence?
- 2.Quarterly scan results?
- 3.Remediation of failing scans?
- 4.Most recent ASV report.
🎯 MITRE ATT&CK Mapping
⚡ Common Pitfalls
- ⛔Scope misalignment between scan + actual perimeter
- ⛔Failing scans not remediated before next cycle
- ⛔Self-attestation without ASV
📈 Business Value
ASV scans validate PCI compliance + catch perimeter issues.
⏱️ Effort Estimate
ASV engagement + quarterly remediation
EchelonGraph monitors continuous public-facing posture between ASV scans
🔗 Cross-Framework References
Automate PCI DSS 11.4 compliance
EchelonGraph continuously monitors this control across all your cloud accounts.
Start Free →