What evidence do auditors commonly ask for on 9.2.4 Locking of consoles in sensitive areas?

Configuration of KVM switches and rack consoles showing automatic lock and re-authentication; Screen lock policy settings applied to consoles in data centers and server rooms; Observation record of an administrator login attempt showing the console was locked; Procedure requiring administrators to lock consoles when stepping away.

What is the most common gap auditors find on 9.2.4?

Rack KVM console left logged in with a root session in the data center

PCI DSS v4.0.1 · Req 9: Restrict Physical Access

`9.2.4` Locking of consoles in sensitive areas

Consoles located in sensitive areas must be locked whenever they are not being used, so that no one without authorization can use them. The guidance explains that locking console sessions prevents unauthorized people from viewing sensitive information, changing system configurations, introducing vulnerabilities or destroying records. Applicability: all entities that have consoles located in sensitive areas. Customized approach objective: physical consoles inside sensitive areas cannot be operated by unauthorized personnel.

Source: PCI DSS v4.0.1, 9.2.4. 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

easy

to go live

Physical access / facilities

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 of KVM switches and rack consoles showing automatic lock and re-authentication · Physical access / facilities
Screen lock policy settings applied to consoles in data centers and server rooms · Physical access / facilities

periodic reviewEvidence produced at each review

Observation record of an administrator login attempt showing the console was locked · Physical access / facilities

governing documentDocuments that govern the control

Procedure requiring administrators to lock consoles when stepping away · Policy repository / GRC workspace

First move

Automate the pull from your Physical access / facilities. Badge system access logs and visitor register exports; facilities maintenance tickets.

Common gaps auditors find

Rack KVM console left logged in with a root session in the data center
Console lock configured on servers but not on the shared KVM
Local break-glass terminals in sensitive areas exempted from locking

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

9.2.3 Physical protection of network hardware and lines · 9.3.1 Personnel physical access procedures for the CDE