What evidence do auditors commonly ask for on 2.2.4 Only necessary functionality enabled?

Per-platform list of required services, protocols, daemons and functions in the configuration standard; Running service and listening port listings from sampled systems compared to the approved list; Hardening scan results flagging unnecessary components such as unused web or FTP servers; Evidence that interfaces like USB or Bluetooth are disabled where not needed.

What is the most common gap auditors find on 2.2.4?

Default installation packages left in place, including sample applications and unused web servers

PCI DSS v4.0.1 · Req 2: Secure Configurations

`2.2.4` Only necessary functionality enabled

Only the services, protocols, daemons and functions that are needed may be enabled, and all functionality that is not needed must be removed or disabled. The guidance gives examples of unneeded functionality, such as drivers, scripts, subsystems, features, file systems, Bluetooth and USB interfaces, and unused web servers, and explains that removing it narrows the attack surface. Applicability: no special notes; applies to every assessed entity. Objective under the customized approach: system components cannot be compromised through unnecessary functionality present on them.

Source: PCI DSS v4.0.1, 2.2.4. 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.

artefacts

held by a system

at each review

hard

to go live

Policy repository / GRC workspace

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

none for this control

periodic reviewEvidence produced at each review

Evidence that interfaces like USB or Bluetooth are disabled where not needed · Endpoint management (MDM / EDR)

governing documentDocuments that govern the control

Per-platform list of required services, protocols, daemons and functions in the configuration standard · Policy repository / GRC workspace
Running service and listening port listings from sampled systems compared to the approved list · Policy repository / GRC workspace
Hardening scan results flagging unnecessary components such as unused web or FTP servers · Policy repository / GRC workspace

First move

No system holds this evidence for you: it is people and documents. Reminders and routing to the owner still save time. Put the document under version control with an owner and review date, and log each review as a record with reviewer and date.

Common gaps auditors find

Default installation packages left in place, including sample applications and unused web servers
Required-function list is generic and not specific to each system role
Container base images include shells and utilities not needed at runtime

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

2.2.3 Primary functions with different security levels managed · 2.2.5 Insecure services, protocols or daemons secured