Payment card industry (pci) compliant architecture and associated methodology of managing a service infrastructure

A security appliance to perform multiple security functions, comprising:

• a global unit to monitor the functions of the security appliance and other units of the security appliance;
• a logging unit to log data from all network devices at the merchant's site and from other units of the security appliance;
• an integrity unit to construct maps of file systems of the network devices and to compare the constructed maps with previously constructed maps to detect differences between the constructed maps and the previously constructed maps;
• and
• a scanning unit to perform periodic network scans to ensure security of the network devices and to detect unrecognized devices on the network.

A method to be performed by a system to ensure compliance with data security standards for merchants that store, process, and transmit secure data, the method comprising:

• performing, in a security appliance located at a merchant's site, multiple security functions, the performing including
• monitoring, in a global unit, functions of the security appliance and of other units of the security appliance;
• logging data, in a logging unit, from all network devices at the merchant's site and from other units of the security appliance;
• constructing maps, in an integrity unit, of file systems of the network devices and comparing the constructed maps with previously constructed maps to detect differences between the constructed maps and the previously constructed maps;
• and
• performing periodic network scans, in a scanning unit, to ensure security of the network devices and to detect unrecognized devices on the network;
• providing information, through a display unit, of compliance performance of the system on a secure basis;
• automating and managing, in a back-end unit, compliance-related tasks and data security events and ensuring integrity of the network devices;
• and
• monitoring, in a control unit, compliance performance in real-time and implementing additional procedures required based on the monitored performance to ensure compliance with data security standards.