💳PCI DSS 5.2Rule: PCI-5-2high

Anti-Malware Coverage

Description

Anti-malware mechanisms must be deployed on all system components commonly affected by malicious software, kept current, and actively running.

⚠️ Risk Impact

Endpoint malware is a vector for credential theft + lateral movement into the CDE. Coverage gaps create entry points; outdated definitions miss modern threats.

🔍 How EchelonGraph Detects This

PCI-5-2Automated scanner rule

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

Deploy modern EDR on workstations + servers in CDE. Maintain coverage tracking. Tune for high-confidence detection + automated response. Integrate with SIEM.

💀 Real-World Attack Scenario

A point-of-sale server had outdated antivirus signatures (3 months old). A new variant of RAMscraper malware infected the system + scraped card data from RAM during transactions. Detection only when card brands flagged coincidental fraud. Loss: $4.5M + $2.1M settlement.

💰 Cost of Non-Compliance

PCI 5.2 violations: $5K-$100K/month. Malware-related CDE breach: avg $5.5M.

📋 Audit Questions

  • 1.What EDR is deployed in CDE?
  • 2.Coverage percentage?
  • 3.Signature/threat-feed update cadence?
  • 4.Active response capability?

🎯 MITRE ATT&CK Mapping

T1056.001 — KeyloggingT1486 — Data Encrypted for Impact

⚡ Common Pitfalls

  • Antivirus deployed but signature updates fail silently
  • EDR exclusions list grows without review
  • Coverage gaps on POS / specialized terminals

📈 Business Value

Modern EDR is required for PCI + prevents the highest-frequency CDE attack vectors.

⏱️ Effort Estimate

Manual

Ongoing tuning + alert response

With EchelonGraph

EchelonGraph integrates with EDR for findings correlation

🔗 Cross-Framework References

SOC2-CC6.8NIST-SI-3

Automate PCI DSS 5.2 compliance

EchelonGraph continuously monitors this control across all your cloud accounts.

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