EvidenceSheet
PCI DSS v4.0.1 · Req 10: Logging and Monitoring

10.2.1.6 Logs capture initialization and stopping of audit logs

Audit logs must record the following: every initialization of new audit logs, and every start, stop or pause of existing audit logs. Applies to all entities. The guidance explains that attackers commonly switch logging off or pause it before acting, and that a newly initialized log can indicate someone disabled logging to hide activity. Customized approach objective: every change to the operating status of audit logging leaves a record.

Source: PCI DSS v4.0.1, 10.2.1.6. The statement above is our statement of the clause, read from the published text and cited so you can check it against the official text, not the instrument verbatim. Open PCI DSS v4.0.1 in the compliance library.

Version 4.0.1 is the active version; 4.0 has been retired. Appendix A1 applies only to multi-tenant service providers, A2 only to card-present POS POI terminals that still use SSL or early TLS, and A3 only when a payment brand or acquirer requires it. Which requirements apply to you follows your validation type.

4
artefacts
4
held by a system
0
at each review
easy
to go live
SIEM / log platform
where the evidence lives
teal = a system already holds it · olive = produced at each review. To go live: easy when half or more of the artefacts are already held by a system, moderate from a quarter to a half, hard below a quarter.

These are the artefacts auditors commonly ask for on this requirement, our guidance rather than text from the standard. Your assessor decides what is sufficient in your context, and asks for samples across the period when a report covers one.

system holds itEvidence a system already holds

  • Configuration showing audit service start, stop and clear events are logged · SIEM / log platform
  • Sample events of audit log clearing or service restart · SIEM / log platform
  • SIEM alert rule for logging agent stopped or audit log cleared · SIEM / log platform
  • Cloud audit trail events for stopping or deleting trails · SIEM / log platform

periodic reviewEvidence produced at each review

none for this control

governing documentDocuments that govern the control

none for this control

First move

Automate the pull from your SIEM / log platform. Retention and alert rules exported from the SIEM; review evidence is the closed-alert record with reviewer and time.

Common gaps auditors find

Do this for your whole sheet

Paste the rows you run your controls from and get this mapping for every control at once, with the periodic-review ones flagged and a first move per row. No account for the first run.

Build my evidence sheet

10.2.1.5 Logs capture changes to identification and authentication credentials · 10.2.1.7 Logs capture creation and deletion of system-level objects