What is required to be done in Requirement 1 of PCI DSS?

Requirement 1 of PCI DSS focuses on the necessity of establishing and maintaining a secure network and system configuration, specifically through the installation and maintenance of a firewall configuration. Firewalls serve as a critical line of defense by controlling incoming and outgoing traffic based on predetermined security rules. They help to create a barrier between trusted internal networks and untrusted external networks, thereby preventing unauthorized access to cardholder data.

Installing firewalls is essential to protect sensitive cardholder information from risks associated with vulnerabilities and threats posed by external sources. This requirement emphasizes that organizations must have properly configured firewalls in place to safeguard the network and ensure that access is restricted to authorized personnel only.

While other security measures such as encrypting sensitive data, changing passwords regularly, and implementing multi-factor authentication are vital components of a comprehensive security program and are outlined in other requirements of PCI DSS, they do not fall under Requirement 1's direct focus on firewall configurations.