Which term is used to protect PAN when displayed on screens or receipts?

Which term is used to protect PAN when displayed on screens or receipts?

• A. Truncation
• B. Versioning Methodology
• C. Trusted Network
• D. Masking

Answer: (D)

Masking is used to protect PAN when it is displayed on screens or receipts. It works by hiding most of the digits and showing only a limited portion, typically the last four digits, with the rest replaced by asterisks or bullets. This prevents someone nearby from seeing the full card number while it’s being viewed or printed, reducing the risk of card data exposure from shoulder surfing or insecure receipts. Truncation, in contrast, would involve removing digits from the data itself, which is more about data storage or processing, not presentation. The other options relate to network security or data handling concepts that don’t address how PAN is shown to users.

Masking is used to protect PAN when it is displayed on screens or receipts. It works by hiding most of the digits and showing only a limited portion, typically the last four digits, with the rest replaced by asterisks or bullets. This prevents someone nearby from seeing the full card number while it’s being viewed or printed, reducing the risk of card data exposure from shoulder surfing or insecure receipts. Truncation, in contrast, would involve removing digits from the data itself, which is more about data storage or processing, not presentation. The other options relate to network security or data handling concepts that don’t address how PAN is shown to users.