What evidence do auditors commonly ask for on 6.2.1 Secure development of bespoke and custom software?

Documented secure SDLC procedure citing the industry standard or framework it follows; Security requirements templates used during requirements and design; Threat modelling or design review records for in-scope applications; Mapping of application features to PCI DSS controls such as authentication and logging; Stage-gate checklists showing security sign-off at each lifecycle stage.

What is the most common gap auditors find on 6.2.1?

SDLC document describes delivery stages but has no security activities at design or requirements stages

PCI DSS v4.0.1 · Req 6: Secure Systems and Software

`6.2.1` Secure development of bespoke and custom software

Software the entity builds as bespoke or custom code must be produced through a secure development process that: rests on industry standards or recognised good practice for secure development; conforms to PCI DSS itself (for instance, secure authentication and logging); and takes information security issues into account at every stage of the software development lifecycle. It applies to all entities that build software. Applicability: covers all software built by or for the entity for its own use, both bespoke and custom; third-party software is out of scope for this requirement. Objective under the customized approach: bespoke and custom software is built in line with PCI DSS and secure development practice across its whole lifecycle.

Source: PCI DSS v4.0.1, 6.2.1. 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

Threat modelling or design review records for in-scope applications · Source control / CI pipeline

governing documentDocuments that govern the control

Documented secure SDLC procedure citing the industry standard or framework it follows · Policy repository / GRC workspace
Security requirements templates used during requirements and design · Policy repository / GRC workspace
Mapping of application features to PCI DSS controls such as authentication and logging · Policy repository / GRC workspace
Stage-gate checklists showing security sign-off at each lifecycle stage · 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

SDLC document describes delivery stages but has no security activities at design or requirements stages
Applications built by an outsourced developer are treated as third-party software and excluded
Logging and authentication design do not reflect PCI DSS Requirements 8 and 10

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

6.1.2 Requirement 6 roles and responsibilities assigned · 6.2.2 Annual secure software training for developers