Pci Compliance

by wshobson46891e7e60daNo licenseListed Oct 8, 2026Updated Oct 8, 2026

Implement PCI DSS compliance requirements for secure handling of payment card data and payment systems. Use when securing payment processing, achieving PCI compliance, or implementing payment card security measures.

AI-generated overview

Guides PCI DSS compliance for payment card handling, covering the 12 requirements, tokenization, and encryption.

What it does
This skill provides guidance on implementing PCI DSS compliance for systems that process or store payment card data. It outlines the 12 core requirements, compliance levels, prohibited and permitted data storage, tokenization patterns, and encryption for data at rest and in transit. It also points to a reference file with additional templates and worked examples.
When to use it
Use it when building or securing payment processing systems, handling credit card information, reducing PCI scope, or preparing for PCI DSS assessments. It is intended for teams implementing payment card security measures and compliance controls.
Requirements
No scripts are included; it is instructions only. It references a details file for further patterns. Code examples assume Python with libraries such as stripe, cryptography, and flask_talisman, but these are illustrative and not required to read the guidance.

PCI Compliance

Master PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliance for secure payment processing and handling of cardholder data.

When to Use This Skill

  • Building payment processing systems
  • Handling credit card information
  • Implementing secure payment flows
  • Conducting PCI compliance audits
  • Reducing PCI compliance scope
  • Implementing tokenization and encryption
  • Preparing for PCI DSS assessments

PCI DSS Requirements (12 Core Requirements)

Build and Maintain Secure Network

  1. Install and maintain firewall configuration
  2. Don't use vendor-supplied defaults for passwords

Protect Cardholder Data

  1. Protect stored cardholder data
  2. Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across public networks

Maintain Vulnerability Management

  1. Protect systems against malware
  2. Develop and maintain secure systems and applications

Implement Strong Access Control

  1. Restrict access to cardholder data by business need-to-know
  2. Identify and authenticate access to system components
  3. Restrict physical access to cardholder data

Monitor and Test Networks

  1. Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data
  2. Regularly test security systems and processes

Maintain Information Security Policy

  1. Maintain a policy that addresses information security

Compliance Levels

Level 1: > 6 million transactions/year (annual ROC required) Level 2: 1-6 million transactions/year (annual SAQ) Level 3: 20,000-1 million e-commerce transactions/year Level 4: < 20,000 e-commerce or < 1 million total transactions

Data Minimization (Never Store)

python
# NEVER STORE THESEPROHIBITED_DATA = {    'full_track_data': 'Magnetic stripe data',    'cvv': 'Card verification code/value',    'pin': 'PIN or PIN block'}
# CAN STORE (if encrypted)ALLOWED_DATA = {    'pan': 'Primary Account Number (card number)',    'cardholder_name': 'Name on card',    'expiration_date': 'Card expiration',    'service_code': 'Service code'}
class PaymentData:    """Safe payment data handling."""
    def __init__(self):        self.prohibited_fields = ['cvv', 'cvv2', 'cvc', 'pin']
    def sanitize_log(self, data):        """Remove sensitive data from logs."""        sanitized = data.copy()
        # Mask PAN        if 'card_number' in sanitized:            card = sanitized['card_number']            sanitized['card_number'] = f"{card[:6]}{'*' * (len(card) - 10)}{card[-4:]}"
        # Remove prohibited data        for field in self.prohibited_fields:            sanitized.pop(field, None)
        return sanitized
    def validate_no_prohibited_storage(self, data):        """Ensure no prohibited data is being stored."""        for field in self.prohibited_fields:            if field in data:                raise SecurityError(f"Attempting to store prohibited field: {field}")

Tokenization

Using Payment Processor Tokens

python
import stripe
class TokenizedPayment:    """Handle payments using tokens (no card data on server)."""
    @staticmethod    def create_payment_method_token(card_details):        """Create token from card details (client-side only)."""        # THIS SHOULD ONLY BE DONE CLIENT-SIDE WITH STRIPE.JS        # NEVER send card details to your server
        """        // Frontend JavaScript        const stripe = Stripe('pk_...');
        const {token, error} = await stripe.createToken({            card: {                number: '4242424242424242',                exp_month: 12,                exp_year: 2024,                cvc: '123'            }        });
        // Send token.id to server (NOT card details)        """        pass
    @staticmethod    def charge_with_token(token_id, amount):        """Charge using token (server-side)."""        # Your server only sees the token, never the card number        stripe.api_key = "sk_..."
        charge = stripe.Charge.create(            amount=amount,            currency="usd",            source=token_id,  # Token instead of card details            description="Payment"        )
        return charge
    @staticmethod    def store_payment_method(customer_id, payment_method_token):        """Store payment method as token for future use."""        stripe.Customer.modify(            customer_id,            source=payment_method_token        )
        # Store only customer_id and payment_method_id in your database        # NEVER store actual card details        return {            'customer_id': customer_id,            'has_payment_method': True            # DO NOT store: card number, CVV, etc.        }

Custom Tokenization (Advanced)

python
import secretsfrom cryptography.fernet import Fernet
class TokenVault:    """Secure token vault for card data (if you must store it)."""
    def __init__(self, encryption_key):        self.cipher = Fernet(encryption_key)        self.vault = {}  # In production: use encrypted database
    def tokenize(self, card_data):        """Convert card data to token."""        # Generate secure random token        token = secrets.token_urlsafe(32)
        # Encrypt card data        encrypted = self.cipher.encrypt(json.dumps(card_data).encode())
        # Store token -> encrypted data mapping        self.vault[token] = encrypted
        return token
    def detokenize(self, token):        """Retrieve card data from token."""        encrypted = self.vault.get(token)        if not encrypted:            raise ValueError("Token not found")
        # Decrypt        decrypted = self.cipher.decrypt(encrypted)        return json.loads(decrypted.decode())
    def delete_token(self, token):        """Remove token from vault."""        self.vault.pop(token, None)

Encryption

Data at Rest

python
from cryptography.hazmat.primitives.ciphers.aead import AESGCMimport os
class EncryptedStorage:    """Encrypt data at rest using AES-256-GCM."""
    def __init__(self, encryption_key):        """Initialize with 256-bit key."""        self.key = encryption_key  # Must be 32 bytes
    def encrypt(self, plaintext):        """Encrypt data."""        # Generate random nonce        nonce = os.urandom(12)
        # Encrypt        aesgcm = AESGCM(self.key)        ciphertext = aesgcm.encrypt(nonce, plaintext.encode(), None)
        # Return nonce + ciphertext        return nonce + ciphertext
    def decrypt(self, encrypted_data):        """Decrypt data."""        # Extract nonce and ciphertext        nonce = encrypted_data[:12]        ciphertext = encrypted_data[12:]
        # Decrypt        aesgcm = AESGCM(self.key)        plaintext = aesgcm.decrypt(nonce, ciphertext, None)
        return plaintext.decode()
# Usagestorage = EncryptedStorage(os.urandom(32))encrypted_pan = storage.encrypt("4242424242424242")# Store encrypted_pan in database

Data in Transit

python
# Always use TLS 1.2 or higher# Flask/Django exampleapp.config['SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE'] = True  # HTTPS onlyapp.config['SESSION_COOKIE_HTTPONLY'] = Trueapp.config['SESSION_COOKIE_SAMESITE'] = 'Strict'
# Enforce HTTPSfrom flask_talisman import TalismanTalisman(app, force_https=True)

Additional patterns and templates

More detailed templates and worked examples live in references/details.md. Read that file for the full pattern library.

Source and attribution

Source:wshobson/agentsinplugins/payment-processing/skills/pci-complianceat commit46891e7

License: No license

Content belongs to its original authors. SourceWeft indexes it from a public repository.

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