How to Protect Cardholder Data with PCI DSS Compliance Software Using Redaction

by Zain Noor, Last updated: January 1, 2026

Cardholder data doesn’t just live inside payment systems anymore.
It shows up in call recordings, screen captures, customer emails, PDFs, images, and even training videos. And that’s exactly where many organizations unintentionally fall out of PCI DSS compliance.

While payment gateways and processors may already meet PCI DSS requirements, the content surrounding payment interactions often becomes the weakest link. This is where PCI DSS compliance software, especially solutions that support data detection and redaction, plays a critical role.

If your organization handles customer interactions, recordings, or shared files, this guide will help you understand how to protect cardholder data beyond traditional payment systems.

You can also explore how automated redaction works with a free trial -  no commitment required.

Why PCI DSS Compliance Goes Beyond Payment Systems

PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) is designed to protect cardholder data, such as:

• Primary Account Numbers (PAN)
• Cardholder names
• Expiration dates
• Sensitive authentication data (e.g., CVV)

Most organizations focus on securing where payments are processed, payment gateways, POS systems, and databases. However, in real-world operations, cardholder data frequently appears in unstructured content, including:

• Customer support call recordings where agents hear card numbers aloud
• Screen recordings capturing checkout pages
• Dispute and chargeback evidence stored as PDFs or images
• Emails, chat logs, and support tickets with screenshots
• QA, training, or compliance review recordings

Even if your payment infrastructure is compliant, storing or sharing cardholder data in these formats can still bring you into PCI scope and increase breach risk.

The 12 PCI DSS Requirements Explained

The PCI DSS requirements are designed to do more than protect payment transactions. Together, they strengthen the entire cardholder data environment (CDE) and improve an organization’s overall security posture. Any business that stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data—whether through payment systems or operational content like recordings and documents—must align with these requirements.

At a high level, the twelve PCI DSS requirements cover technical controls, access management, monitoring, and governance:

1. Install and maintain network security controls to protect systems that handle cardholder data.
2. Apply secure configurations to all system components to reduce vulnerabilities caused by default or weak settings.
3. Protect stored account data by rendering cardholder information unreadable where it is retained.
4. Protect cardholder data during transmission over open, public networks using strong cryptography.
5. Protect all systems and networks from malicious software through anti-malware controls and monitoring.
6. Develop and maintain secure systems and software to address vulnerabilities through updates and secure development practices.
7. Restrict access to system components and cardholder data based on the business need to know.
8. Identify users and authenticate access to ensure only authorized individuals can access sensitive systems.
9. Restrict physical access to cardholder data and the environments where it is stored or processed.
10. Log and monitor all access to system components and cardholder data to detect suspicious activity.
11. Test the security of systems and networks regularly to validate that controls remain effective.
12. Support information security with organizational policies and programs that define roles, responsibilities, and expectations.

While not every requirement directly references redaction, several—particularly those focused on protecting stored data, restricting access, and reducing exposure—are supported by minimizing where cardholder data exists in operational content. Redaction helps organizations align with these principles by removing unnecessary cardholder data from recordings, documents, and shared files, thereby strengthening the CDE and simplifying ongoing compliance efforts.

Protecting Cardholder Data in Call Centers

Call centers sit at the center of many payment-related interactions, handling cardholder data during customer support, sales, renewals, and dispute resolution. Agents frequently hear card numbers spoken aloud, view payment details on screens, and generate transcripts or records that may retain sensitive information long after a transaction is completed.

This environment creates unique PCI DSS challenges. High call volumes, rotating staff, and pressure to maintain customer experience make it difficult to rely solely on manual controls or agent behavior to prevent exposure. Even when pause-and-resume recording policies are in place, cardholder data can still surface in call recordings, screen captures, transcripts, and supporting documents.

Protecting cardholder data in call centers requires a layered approach that combines secure payment processing, access controls, and data minimization. Redaction plays an important role by removing or masking payment data from operational content so it can be safely reviewed, shared, or retained for quality assurance, training, and compliance purposes.

By reducing where sensitive payment data exists within call center systems, organizations can lower compliance risk, limit the impact of human error, and support PCI DSS requirements without disrupting daily operations.

What to Look for in PCI DSS Compliance Software

When evaluating tools to support PCI compliance, especially for unstructured data, organizations typically look for:

1. Accurate Detection of Cardholder Data

• PAN recognition (including spaced or hyphenated numbers)
• Context-aware detection for expiry dates and CVV
• Ability to identify data in audio, video, documents, and images

2. Flexible Redaction and Masking Options

• Full removal or partial masking (e.g., show last 4 digits)
• Configurable policies based on business needs
• Consistent redaction across different file types

3. Review and Audit Support

• Human-in-the-loop review workflows
• Redaction logs and audit trails
• Repeatable, defensible processes for compliance reviews

4. Scalability for High Volumes

• Bulk processing of recordings and files
• Automation to reduce manual effort
• Support for ongoing, operational use, not just one-off cleanup

Where VIDIZMO Redactor Fits

Organizations that handle large volumes of customer interactions and evidence files often struggle with the same challenge: sensitive payment data appears across recordings, documents, and shared media, making manual cleanup slow, inconsistent, and risky.

VIDIZMO Redactor is one example of a platform designed to support PCI DSS initiatives by enabling organizations to detect and redact PCI-related data across video, audio, documents, and images, helping teams manage risk at scale.

How VIDIZMO Redactor supports PCI-focused workflows:

• Automated detection of PCI data – Identify and redact Primary Account Numbers (PAN) and other payment-related information within recordings, documents, images, and multimedia content.
• Multi-format redaction from a single platform – Apply consistent redaction policies across audio, video, PDFs, images, and text-based files without switching tools.
• Configurable masking and removal policies – Choose whether to fully remove cardholder data or partially mask it based on business and compliance requirements.
• Human-in-the-loop review workflows – Support accuracy and accountability with review, approval, and quality-check steps before content is shared or stored.
• Audit-friendly logging and reporting – Maintain redaction logs and activity trails that support compliance reviews and internal audits.
• Scalable processing for high-volume environments – Handle large collections of recordings and files efficiently, reducing reliance on manual redaction efforts.

Used alongside secure payment processing, access controls, and governance practices, redaction platforms like VIDIZMO Redactor can help organizations reduce PCI scope, limit exposure, and protect cardholder data throughout its lifecycle.

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FAQs

How does redaction support PCI DSS compliance in environments like call centers?

Redaction supports PCI DSS compliance by removing or masking cardholder data from recordings, transcripts, documents, and images once a transaction is complete. This helps reduce where sensitive data is stored, lowers compliance scope, and minimizes the risk of accidental exposure during reviews, audits, or sharing.

Can AI-based redaction tools accurately detect credit card data in audio and video?

Modern AI-based redaction tools use pattern recognition, context analysis, OCR, and speech-to-text technologies to identify cardholder data across audio, video, documents, and images. Most organizations combine automation with human review workflows to ensure accuracy and compliance.

How does redaction help reduce PCI DSS audit scope?

By removing cardholder data from files that are no longer required, redaction reduces the number of systems and assets that fall under PCI DSS assessment. This can simplify audits, lower validation effort, and minimize ongoing compliance overhead.

What should organizations look for when choosing PCI DSS compliance software with redaction capabilities?

Organizations should look for accurate detection of PCI data, support for multiple file types, configurable masking policies, review and audit logs, and the ability to scale across large volumes of content. These capabilities help ensure redaction supports both compliance and operational needs.

How does VIDIZMO Redactor help organizations manage PCI related data risk?

VIDIZMO Redactor helps organizations manage PCI-related data risk by enabling the detection and redaction of cardholder data across video, audio, documents, and images. By supporting configurable redaction policies, review workflows, and audit-friendly logs, it can be used as part of a broader PCI DSS compliance strategy to reduce where sensitive payment data is stored and shared.