GCP Financial Records Protection

Learn how to prevent exposure of financial records in Google Cloud Platform environments. Follow step-by-step guidance for PCI DSS compliance.

data exposure

PCI DSS

gcp

Why It Matters

The core goal is to proactively secure every location where financial records are stored within your Google Cloud Platform environment, preventing unauthorized access before it leads to regulatory violations or data breaches. Implementing comprehensive protection for financial data in GCP is critical for organizations subject to PCI DSS requirements, as it helps you maintain secure cardholder data environments and avoid costly compliance failures.

Primary Risk: Data exposure of sensitive financial records

Relevant Regulation: PCI DSS Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard

A robust prevention strategy establishes multiple layers of defense, ensuring financial data remains protected through access controls, encryption, and continuous monitoring.

Prerequisites

Permissions & Roles

  • GCP Project Owner or Security Admin role
  • Cloud Asset Inventory API access
  • Cloud Storage Admin privileges
  • IAM Admin permissions

External Tools

  • Google Cloud SDK (gcloud CLI)
  • Cyera DSPM account
  • Terraform (optional)
  • Service account keys

Prior Setup

  • GCP project with billing enabled
  • Cloud Asset API enabled
  • VPC networks configured
  • Audit logging enabled

Introducing Cyera

Cyera is a modern Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) platform that discovers, classifies, and continuously monitors your sensitive data across cloud services. Using advanced AI and natural language processing (NLP) models, Cyera automatically identifies financial records patterns, transaction data, and payment information in your GCP environment, ensuring comprehensive protection and PCI DSS compliance through intelligent data classification and risk assessment.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Configure IAM and access controls

Implement least-privilege access policies for financial data resources. Create dedicated service accounts with minimal required permissions and enable multi-factor authentication for all users accessing financial systems.

gcloud iam roles create financial_data_reader --project=[PROJECT_ID] --file=financial-role.yaml

2
Enable encryption and key management

Configure Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK) for all storage containing financial records. Use Cloud KMS to manage encryption keys with proper rotation policies and access controls.

3
Deploy Cyera DSPM protection

In the Cyera portal, navigate to Integrations → DSPM → Add new. Select Google Cloud Platform, provide your service account credentials, then configure automated scanning and policy enforcement for financial data protection.

4
Implement network security controls

Configure VPC firewalls, Private Google Access, and network segmentation to isolate financial data workloads. Enable VPC Flow Logs and set up monitoring for unusual access patterns.

Architecture & Workflow

GCP Asset Inventory

Source of resource metadata and configurations

Cyera AI Engine

Classifies financial data using NLP models

Policy Enforcement

Automated remediation and access controls

Compliance Dashboard

Real-time PCI DSS compliance monitoring

Protection Flow Summary

Discover Assets → Classify Data → Apply Policies → Monitor & Alert

Best Practices & Tips

Access Control Optimization

  • Use resource-level IAM for granular control
  • Implement time-based access restrictions
  • Regular access reviews and certifications

Encryption Strategy

  • Enable encryption at rest and in transit
  • Use separate keys for different data types
  • Implement key rotation schedules

Common Pitfalls

  • Overlooking temporary storage and logs
  • Insufficient network segmentation
  • Missing backup encryption configurations

References & Further Reading

Next Steps

🔍 Detect: Identify existing financial data exposures 🔧 Fix: Remediate discovered financial data risks