EvidenceSheet
PCI DSS v4.0.1 · Appendix A3: Designated Entities Supplemental Validation (DESV)

A3.2.2 Scope impact of every system or network change

For every change to systems or networks, including new systems and new network connections, the entity must determine the effect on PCI DSS scope. The process covers: carrying out a formal assessment of the PCI DSS impact; determining which PCI DSS requirements apply to the system or network; updating scope as needed; and documented sign-off of the impact assessment results by the responsible personnel defined in A3.1.3. Linked to the PCI DSS scoping section; Requirements 1-12. Guidance: doing the impact assessment before the change gives assurance it will not weaken CDE security. Applies only to designated entities. Objective under the customized approach: not eligible for the customized approach; only the defined approach can be used.

Source: PCI DSS v4.0.1, A3.2.2. 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
1
held by a system
1
at each review
moderate
to go live
Ticketing / ITSM
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

  • Sample change tickets with completed PCI DSS impact assessments · Ticketing / ITSM

periodic reviewEvidence produced at each review

  • Sign-off records by A3.1.3 compliance role holders · Identity provider / directory

governing documentDocuments that govern the control

  • Change management procedure with a mandatory PCI DSS impact field · Policy repository / GRC workspace
  • Scope documentation revisions linked to change tickets · Policy repository / GRC workspace

First move

Start with the 1 of 4 artefacts that already live in a system (Ticketing / ITSM); keep the periodic reviews but log each one as a dated record with a named reviewer.

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

A3.2.1 Quarterly and change-driven scope documentation and validation · A3.2.2.1 Post-change confirmation that PCI DSS controls are in place