Financial Services Regulatory Compliance: What Green Screen Users Need to Know

Mainframes are the backbone of many financial services organizations, but new regulations are bringing fresh scrutiny to how data on these systems is being secured. Whether you access the mainframe through a green screen or manage terminal sessions, understanding these regulatory shifts is now essential.

Why Mainframe Security Is in the Spotlight

Major new rules are making mainframe security a top priority:

• DORA: In effect since January 2025, DORA demands strong operational resilience—including multi-factor authentication for mainframe access.
• PCI DSS 4.0: As of March 2025, this updated standard raises the bar for payment data security, much of which resides on mainframes.
• NYDFS 23 NYCRR Part 500: Tighter access controls, encryption, and incident response become mandatory in November 2025 for New York-based financial organizations as well as companies doing business with them.

What’s Changing for Green Screen Users?

Regulations are pushing for:

• Documented risk management and regular assessments
• Strong encryption for data in transit and at rest—no shortcuts
• Multi-factor authentication and least-privilege access, replacing broad permissions
• Continuous vulnerability monitoring and remediation
• Secure management of third-party access
• Regular compliance testing and reporting

The Challenge

With threats growing in sophistication and manual security methods falling short, relying on old processes isn’t enough. Enforcing least-privilege access and modern authentication is quickly becoming standard practice for mainframe environments.

How to Prepare

You can take several practical steps now:

1. Identify your most sensitive data and critical applications.
2. Roll out multifactor authentication (MFA) and tighten user privileges.
3. Encrypt data everywhere it moves or sits.
4. Adopt vulnerability management programs tailored to your mainframe environment.
5. Collaborate across IT, security, business, and vendor teams.

Moving Forward

Updating mainframe security to meet these standards can seem daunting, but there are modern solutions. Rocket^® Secure Host Access strengthens authentication, encryption, and compliance—even for longstanding green screen environments—by extending the identity and access management (IAM) tools and best practices you’re already using across the rest of your enterprise.

With compliance deadlines approaching, now is the time to review your mainframe security strategy and close any gaps. Consult with experienced mainframe security experts to ensure your systems are ready for the new regulatory reality.

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