Practical guide for meeting Requirement 8.6.3

PCI DSS 4.0: The New Challenge for API Credential Management

This guide explains the essentials of PCI DSS 4.0 and what organisations managing payment card data need to know about Requirement 8.6.3.

Introduction

With the release of PCI-DSS 4.0, organizations managing payment card data face increased scrutiny and compliance complexity. A critical focus of the updated standard is Requirement 8.6.3, which mandates periodic rotation of credentials used by applications and systems, including API keys and service accounts. This marks a shift away from static credentials and underscores the need for automated credential management and certificate-based authentication. Raidiam Connect delivers automated, secure, and scalable solutions to address PCI-DSS 4.0 requirements while improving operational efficiency and API security.

Understanding PCI-DSS 4.0 and Its Evolution

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a globally recognized set of practices for safeguarding cardholder data. With PCI DSS 4.0, the standard introduces significant changes to address today’s digital risks.

Why PCI-DSS 4.0 matters:

Stronger emphasis on outcome-based security
Customizable implementation approaches
New controls for access, identity, and API security
Greater focus on proactive credential management

One of the key updates—Requirement 8.6.3—targets non-interactive system credentials, including API keys, tokens, and service account passwords, requiring organizations to rotate these credentials at least annually or based on risk assessment.

PCI-DSS 4.0 Requirement 8.6.3 Explained

What does Requirement 8.6.3 require?

"Passwords/passphrases for application and system accounts are changed at least once every 12 months and upon suspicion of compromise... A risk-based approach may define alternative controls or rotation frequencies."

This highlights the need to:

Eliminate static, long-lived credentials
Rotate secrets used by APIs, integrations, and applications
Establish automated systems for key rotation and certificate lifecycle management
Provide full audit logs to support PCI-DSS audit requirements

Static Credentials: A Growing Security Liability

Static credentials such as hard-coded API keys are a well-documented threat to PCI-DSS security. Once compromised, these credentials can provide undetected access to sensitive systems and cardholder data.

Risks include:

Credential leaks in source code repositories
Unauthorized API access due to exposed keys
Non-compliance with PCI DSS certificate and audit requirements

Static credentials also complicate audit readiness, making it harder for teams to provide evidence during a PCI DSS audit.

→ Related article: Certificate Rotation and Inventory Matter for PCI DSS 4.0

Why Manual Credential Rotation Fails Compliance

Manual key rotation is no longer a viable approach under PCI DSS 4.0. Teams face difficulty maintaining accurate credential inventories, rotating secrets without downtime, and ensuring logs are audit-ready.

Challenges with manual rotation:

Lack of visibility into credential usage
Service disruptions due to poorly coordinated updates
Inability to demonstrate compliance to auditors

Automated systems that manage certificate-bound access tokens and rotate credentials without downtime are becoming a requirement—not a luxury—for PCI DSS security.

Webinar | Payments Industry

Beyond Static Secrets:Modernizing API Security for PCI DSS 4.0

Join us for a focused 20-minute session to discover how your organisation can modernise API security, eliminate static credentials, and automate compliance with the latest PCI DSS standards - all without disrupting developer experience.

Raidiam Connect: Built for PCI-DSS Compliance

→ Explore our PCI-DSS solution

Raidiam Connect provides an end-to-end solution for managing secrets, automating credential rotation, and enforcing certificate-based authentication for APIs and services.

How we support PCI-DSS 4.0 compliance:

Automated Credential Rotation
- Enforce policy-driven credential rotation
- Automate updates with zero disruption to API services

Certificate-Bound Access Tokens
- Use short-lived, certificate-bound tokens to eliminate reliance on static API keys
- Improve control over identity and access at the API level
Audit-Ready Logging
- All credential events are tracked with full auditability
- Simplifies PCI-DSS audit preparation and reporting
Certificate Lifecycle Management
- Automate certificate issuance, rotation, and expiration
- Maintain a current certificate inventory for API security and compliance
Developer & Business-Friendly
- Self-service onboarding for new apps and users
- Seamless integration with existing gateways and IAM platforms

A Real-World Example: Case Study — A Leading Issuer Processor

A global issuer processor responsible for handling billions of financial transactions annually needed to comply with PCI-DSS 4.0 while scaling their operations securely across multiple jurisdictions.

The Challenge: They faced increasing complexity in managing over 300 service accounts and API integrations across their digital ecosystem. Manual credential management had become a bottleneck, exposing them to audit risk and operational delays.

How Raidiam Helped: By integrating Raidiam Connect, the organization:

Replaced static credentials with certificate-bound access tokens
Automated key rotation and certificate lifecycle management
Achieved full visibility and auditability for PCI-DSS audits

The Outcome:

Successfully passed their PCI-DSS 4.0 audit with zero non-conformities
Reduced security incidents linked to credential misuse by 85%
Decreased onboarding time for new partners by over 40%

PCI DSS 4.0 Resources from Raidiam

To help you navigate your compliance journey, we’ve created expert resources that explain key areas of PCI-DSS 4.0:

What PCI DSS 4.0 Means for You

Overview of new requirements
How they impact API security and identity management

Key Rotation Best Practices

How to build scalable, policy-based credential rotation workflows
Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Managing PCI-DSS Certificates and Inventories

Why certificate visibility is essential for compliance
How automation closes gaps and supports audits

Live Webinar: Modernizing API Security

Join us on 19 June for our session:

Beyond Static Secrets: Modernizing API Security for PCI DSS 4.0

Real-world PCI DSS 4.0 compliance walkthrough
Live Raidiam Connect demo
Q&A with PCI DSS compliance experts

Reserve Your Spot Now: Sign Up To Our Free PCI-DSS 4.0 Webinar

Frequently Asked Questions on PCI-DSS API Security

Need to know more?
Speak to one of our consultants.

What are PCI DSS 4.0 requirements for API security?

APIs must use secure authentication, rotate credentials periodically, and avoid hard-coded secrets. Certificate-bound access tokens and automated rotation align closely with PCI-DSS 4.0 security goals.

What’s the role of certificates in PCI DSS compliance?

Certificates ensure trust and encryption. Managing them properly—through automation and inventory tracking—is vital for audit readiness.

Can I use static secrets if I rotate them manually?

Technically yes, but it’s risky and often fails audits due to lack of documentation and control.

What’s the benefit of using certificate-bound access tokens?

They replace static secrets, enforce strong authentication, and enable zero-trust architecture at the API level.