PCI DSS 4.0 on the Mainframe: Real-Time Splunk Logging

How can mainframe teams meet PCI DSS 4.0's tougher continuous-monitoring and audit requirements without custom scripting? In this episode of Skyward Data, the podcast from VirtualZ Computing, co-founders Vince Re and Dustin Froyum explain how real-time, no-code data access from IBM Z to Splunk simplifies PCI DSS 4.0 compliance. PCI DSS 4.0 raises the bar for continuous evidence collection, monitoring, and audit readiness across all systems — and mainframes are now firmly in scope. Vince Re and Dustin Froyum unpack how the PropelZ Splunk Log Connector streams z/OS console messages directly into Splunk and JDBC targets like Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Snowflake, BigQuery, and Redshift, with no scripting or replication. The episode also draws on rare firsthand history: Vince Re, original author of CA Top Secret and an early pioneer of enterprise cybersecurity, reflects on the origins of mainframe security, the evolution of audit logging, and his work validating early U.S. encryption standards. In this episode of Skyward Data, the podcast from VirtualZ Computing: - PCI DSS 4.0: what's new, and why mainframes are now firmly in scope - How the PropelZ Splunk Log Connector accelerates evidence collection and compliance workflows - The shift from manual scripts to governed, real-time data streams - Streaming z/OS console messages to Splunk and JDBC targets without replication - Lessons from the early days of enterprise cybersecurity and data protection The PropelZ Splunk Log Connector is part of PropelZ, VirtualZ's no-code tool for moving and replicating IBM Z mainframe data — proven at 56,000 records per second, mainframe to cloud, with no code and no homegrown pipelines. PropelZ is part of VirtualZ Computing's no-code portfolio for enterprise mainframe data, alongside Lozen (live in-place data access), FlowZ (cloud storage for backup and archive), and Zaac (cloud and SAN as native z/OS storage). Topics: PCI DSS 4.0, mainframe compliance, Splunk, z/OS, audit logging, IBM Z, cybersecurity, JDBC, real-time data streaming, no-code data integration. Listen to more Skyward Data episodes: https://virtualzcomputing.com/podcasts/