← PCI DSS 4.0.1 · Req 11 — Test security regularly
11.4 — Penetration testing at least every 12 months
Requirement
A penetration-testing methodology is defined; internal and external penetration tests are performed at least once every 12 months and after any significant infrastructure or application change by a qualified, organisationally independent tester; exploitable vulnerabilities are corrected and retested; and segmentation controls are tested (every 12 months, or every six months for service providers).
What the engine looks for
Every group below must be satisfied — by an affirmative statement, not a plan, a hedge or a denial — for the control to count as covered. A term ending in … matches any word it begins. Supporting terms do not change the verdict — they raise confidence and distinguish a policy that names a mechanism from one that gestures at a category.
Finding any of these outranks coverage — a policy that admits the gap is worse than silence.
Equivalent controls elsewhere
Matched on shared topics. Satisfying this control usually moves these too.
| Framework | Control | Title | Shared topics |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 27001 | A.8.29 | Security testing in development and acceptance | security-testing pen-test |
| GLBA | 314.4(d) | Continuous monitoring, or annual penetration tests and six-monthly vulnerability assessments | pen-test security-testing |
| CCPA/CPRA | Regs (cybersecurity audits) | Annual independent cybersecurity audit | security-testing |