12.5.1 Establish, document, and distribute security policies and procedures.
12.5.1* Verify that responsibility for establishing, documenting and distributing security policies and procedures is formally assigned.
Each person or team with responsibilities for information security management should be clearly aware of their responsibilities and related tasks, through specific policy. Without this accountability, gaps in processes may open access into critical resources or cardholder data.
Entities should also consider transition and/or succession plans for key personnel to avoid potential gaps in security assignments, which could result in responsibilities not being assigned and therefore not performed.