PCI Level 1 Onsite Example PCI DSS Information Security Compliance Policies and Procedures Templates | Download

pcipolicyportal.com offers PCI Level 1 onsite example PCI DSS information security compliance policies and procedures templates for purchase and immediate download. Since 2009, we’ve been providing this all-inclusive set of documents to organization all around the globe, from Cape Town, South Africa, to Greenville, South Carolina.  Companies have come to trust the depth and quality of our PCI documentation, and consistently turn to us, year-after-year, for obtaining the very best example PCI DSS information security compliance policies and procedures templates found anywhere.  As for Level 1 onsite assessments, merchants and service providers are required to produce literally a laundry list of policies, procedures, and other necessary documentation, which makes obtaining high-quality, professionally developed templates all the more important. From Requirement 1 to Requirement 12 of the PCI DSS standards, there’s dozens of mandates for policies and procedures, so trust the experts at pcipolicyportal.com and their all-inclusive set of PCI policies. Order today and immediately download your example PCI DSS information security compliance policies and procedures templates.

Level 1 Onsite Assessments are Being Required by Many of Today’s Service Providers
PCI DSS compliance, particularly the Level 1 onsite assessments are becoming more of requirement today, particularly amongst service providers having a credible nexus with cardholder data.  Data centers, managed services providers, Software as a Service (SaaS) entities, call centers, debt collection agencies – it’s a never ending list – and the PCI DSS requirements are fast approaching virtually every industry and business sector known.  Get compliant – that means putting in place industry leading policies and procedures – such as the all-inclusive set of PCI policies from pcipolicyportal.com.

Example PCI Information Security Compliance Policies and Procedures Templates for PCI-SAQ
Furthermore, pcipolicyportal.com also offers PCI policies and procedures for the numerous PCI Self-Assessment Questionnaires (A, B, C, C-VT, D, P2PE-HW), along with PCI policy and procedure writing services.  Additionally, learn more about PCI compliance with our PCI webinars – free of charge – so join us.  Lastly, learn about the PCI Compliance Certification Process for Level 1 Assessments, along with the PCI certification process for the Self-Assessment Questionnaires.

PCI Compliance Certification Process for Level 1 Onsite Assessments | Why PCI Security Templates and Policies are Critical

The PCI compliance certification process for Level 1onsite assessments can be a taxing and challenging process, one that requires thoughtful consideration when choosing a PCI-QSA to conduct the actual assessment, along with finding supporting documentation for assisting with compliance. What’s important to note about Level 1 onsite assessments is the laundry list of documented policies and procedures needed for compliance, which can be obtained by purchasing the PCI security templates and policies from pcipolicyportal.com. We’ve provided essential PCI policies to companies all around the world – from Cape Town, South Africa, to Greenville, South Carolina – and are looked upon as the undisputed policy experts for PCI DSS compliance.   

As for the PCI compliance certification process for Level 1onsite assessments, here’s a brief, yet comprehensive step-by-step approach put together by one of the industry’s most experienced Payment Card Industry Qualified Security Assessors (PCI-QSA).

1.  Conduct a preliminary Gap Analysis against the actual PCI DSS standards. Onsite assessments generally have a large scope and can take a considerable amount of time for completion.  Charles’ advice is to start with a comprehensive internal gap analysis that includes a walk-through of all twelve (12) of the PCI DSS requirements. Trust us – it’s a highly effective strategy, one that yields important findings about your organization’s PCI “readiness” and overall posture.

2.  Place remediation items into specific categories and assign ownership.  You’ll undoubtedly find a number of areas requiring remediation – policies, procedures, and more – ultimately requiring competent professionals to assist in the actual remediation efforts.  We all have seats on the bus – as the old saying goes – so assign roles and responsibilities applicable to one’s strengths and skill sets.

3.  Seek out products, services, tools, and external resources for remediation. We offer a comprehensive set of PCI policies for onsite assessments, which is a good start indeed, but you may very well need additional tools and possibly even external resources for helping implement many of the required PCI mandates.

4.  Remediate. Talk is cheap, so roll up your sleeves and actually remediate all items found during the initial PCI gap analysis, or suffer the consequences of having a PCI-QSA find deficiencies during the actual assessment process.  Want to avoid assessment certification delays and frustrations with your QSA – remediate – plain and simple.

5.  Hire a PCI-QSA.  Find a competent, no-nonsense, well-skilled PCI-QSA to conduct your assessment. We recommend PCI-QSA Charles Denyer, who can be reached on his cell at 214-298-8532. He’s originally from Texas, but works all across the nation conducting Level 1 onsite assessments.  There are also many other high-quality QSA’s to choose from, so visit the official PCI DSS website at pcisecuritystandards.org to learn more.

6.  Agree on scope, set expectations and begin the Level 1 onsite assessment. Understanding the “who, what, when, where, and why” of your Level 1 onsite assessment is critical for mitigating scope creep, creating audit efficiencies, while also working within a defined budget.  You and your PCI-QSA need to agree on a number of essential matters BEFORE the assessment actually begins.

7.  Conduct vulnerability scans and penetration testing.  Level 1 onsite assessments require internal and external vulnerability scans, along with network layer and application layer penetration testing. Remember, the scans must be done by an approved scanning vendor (ASV), but the penetration tests can be conducted by almost any competent I.T. personnel and/or organization.

8.  Provide audit evidence to the PCI-QSA.  Get ready to produce screenshots, log reports, system setting outputs, along with policies and procedures – and more – as part of the audit evidence phase.  When a QSA conducts an actual Level 1onsite assessment, there’s a tremendous amount of audit evidence they’re required to collect.

9.  Receive final Report on Compliance (RoC) from the PCI-QSA.  The final deliverable for a Level 1 onsite PCI compliance assessment is two-fold: (1). The official Report on Compliance (RoC), along with the (2). Attestation of Compliance (AoC).

10.  Complete the Attestation of Compliance (AoC) and file the Report on Compliance (RoC) with VISA, if applicable, and other reporting requirements.  The AoC is often requested as proof of compliance by any number of parties, so keep that in mind. Additionally, some entities also required the entire Report on Compliance (RoC) as evidence also. Lastly, if you want to be listed on the VISA list of approved Service Providers, this requires additional time and senior management commitments also.

PCI Templates and Security Policies for PCI-SAQ | QSA Services and Policy Writing Also
Additionally, we also offer PCI templates and security policies for not only Level 1 onsite assessments, but for all PCI Self-Assessment Questionnaires (A, B, C, C-VT, D, P2PE-HW), along with PCI policy and procedure writing services.    Want to learn more about PCI compliance – then join pcipolicyportal.com for our webinars.  Lastly, learn more about the PCI certification process for the Self-Assessment Questionnaires.

PCI SAQ P2PE-HW | Point-to-Point Encryption | Hardware Terminals | PCI Compliance Policies

PCI SAQ P2PE-HW is the Self-Assessment Questionnaire form to be used for merchants who process cardholder data only via hardware payment terminals within a validated and PCI-SSC listed Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE) solution.  Furthermore, SAQ P2PE-HW merchants do not have access to clear text cardholder data on ANY computer system and only enter account data via hardware payment terminals from a PCI SSC approved P2PE solution.  So what specifically is Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE), you may be asking, it’s defined as the following by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI-SSC) within their publication titled, “Frequently Asked Questions for PCI Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE)” in August, 2012:

A point to point encryption (P2PE) solution is provided by a third party solution provider, and is a combination of secure devices, applications and processes that encrypt data from the point of interaction (at the point of swipe or dip) until the data reaches the solution provider’s secure decryption environment.

A PCI P2PE solution must include all of the following:

•    Secure encryption of payment card data at the point of interaction (POI)
•    P2PE validated application(s) at the point of interaction
•    Secure management of encryption and decryption devices
•    Management of the decryption environment and all decrypted account data
•    Use of secure encryption methodologies and cryptographic key operations, including key
generation, distribution, loading/injection, administration and usage.

Requirements for allowing Merchants to use SAQ P2PE-HW for PCI DSS Compliance
Before beginning the process with SAQ P2PE-HW, please confirm the following (according to the actual SAQ P2PE-HW document available at pcisecuritystandards.org):

•    Your company does not store, process, or transmit any cardholder data on any system or electronic media (i.e., computers, portable disks, audio recording, etc.) outside of the hardware payment terminal used as part of a validated PCI P2PE solution.
•    You company has in fact confirmed that the  implemented PCI P2PE solution is listed on the PCI SSC’s list of Validated P2PE solutions.
•    Your company does not store any cardholder data in electronic format, including no legacy storage of cardholder data from prior payment devices or systems, and
•    Your company has implemented all controls in the P2PE Instructions Manual (PIM) provided by the P2PE solution provider.

SAQ P2PE-HW PCI Compliance Policies for Point-to-Point Encryption | Download Today
If you meet the above listed provisions, then self-assessing with PCI SAQ P2PE-HW is allowable, which will ultimately require PCI compliance policies for assisting with the required mandates for this specific Self-Assessment Questionnaire.  As for PCI SAQ P2PE-HW, pcipolicyportal.com has developed PCI compliance policies specific to this very SAQ, so simply purchase the SAQ P2PE-HW policies, and follow the PCI SAQ Certification process steps.

Furthermore, pcipolicyportal.com also offers policy and procedure writing services, along with PCI compliance policies for all other SAQ reporting mandates (A, B, C, C-VT, and D), including Level 1 onsite assessments by an actual PCI-QSA.  Contact us today to learn more, along with signing up for free pcipolicyportal.com training webinars.

PCI DSS SAQ D Questionnaire Compliance Requirements | Overview | PCI Compliance Security Policy Templates

PCI DSS SAQ D Questionnaire is the compliance requirement for merchants who do not meet the criteria for any of the other SAQ questionnaires (A, B, C, or C-VT, or P2PE-HW), and for service providers who have been deemed eligible to complete SAQ D.  Just as with the other SAQ questionnaires, SAQ D requires merchants and service providers who thoroughly review the applicable requirements, putting in place all necessary policies, procedures, processes, and practices, and then completing the accompanying Attestation of Compliance (AoC).  It’s also important to note that SAQ D is without question the most comprehensive of all the Self-Assessment questionnaires, as it includes provisions for all twelve (12) of the PCI DSS “requirements”.  Though merchants and service providers are allowed to indicate “not applicable” on areas within SAQ D, there’s still a tremendous amount of work to be done for becoming compliant, with a large and notable emphasis on having documented policies and procedures in place.

PCI Compliance Security Policy Templates for SAQ D Compliance | Download Today
pcipolicyportal.com, the industry leader in providing merchants and service providers with PCI compliance security policy templates, has developed policies and procedures specific to the SAQ D questionnaire compliance requirements. With various mandates from all twelve (12) of the PCI DSS standards included within the SAQ D requirements – many of them related to policies and procedures – the PCI compliance security policy templates from pcipolicyportal.com are a must have.  Purchase and immediately download the pcipolicyportalc.om SAQ D templates today and begin the process of being PCI compliant with the help of a proven and trusted organization.  

Policies and Procedures are a Big Part of SAQ D Compliance | Learn More | Order Today
The PCI DSS SAQ D Questionnaire requirements are quite lengthy indeed – again – being the most comprehensive of all the Self-Assessment Questionnaires (A, B, C, C-VT, D, P2PE-HW).  For this very reason alone, the need for PCI compliance security policy templates is a high priority as every requirement within the PCI DSS SAQ D framework calls for policies and procedures. From Requirement 1 to Requirement 12, policies, procedures, forms, and other essential checklists for PCI compliance mandates – ultimately requiring merchants and service providers to develop such documentation.  Trust the experts at pcipolicyportal.com for all your PCI compliance security policy templates for SAQ D compliance. Just purchase the SAQ D policy and procedure templates, then follow the PCI SAQ Certification process steps as discussed by pcipolicyportal.com – it’s that easy.  

Additionally, pcipolicyportal.com also provides policies and procedures for all other Self-Assessment Questionnaires (A, B, C, C-VT, P2PE-HW), along with PCI compliance security policy templates for Level 1 onsite assessments.  Additionally, pcipolicyportal.com offers policy and procedure writing services, along with hosting free weekly webinars on PCI DSS compliance, so join us!

PCI DSS SAQ C-VT Compliance | Forms | Questionnaires | Self-Assessments | PCI Policy Sample Templates

PCI DSS SAQ C-VT is the actual PCI Self-Assessment Questionnaire used by merchants that process cardholder data only “via isolated virtual terminals” on personal computers connected to the Internet.  More specifically, a “virtual terminal” is simply a web browser interface into a third-party (i.e., payment processor, etc.) that actually authorizes payment transactions.  PCI DSS SAQ C-VT, while becoming a very common Self-Assessment questionnaire for compliance, also requires a number of documented operational and information security policies and procedures to be in place, which you can obtain from pcipolicyportal.com.

Requirements for allowing Merchants to use SAQ C-VT for PCI DSS Compliance
Before beginning the process with SAQ C-VT, please confirm the following (according to the actual SAQ C-VT document available at pcisecuritystandards.org):

•    Your company’s only payment processing is done via a virtual terminal accessed by an Internet connected web browser.
•    Your company’s virtual terminal solution is provided and hosted by a PCI DSS validated third-party service provider.
•    Your company accesses the PCI DSS compliant virtual terminal solution via a compute that is isolated in a single location, and is not connected to other locations or systems within your environment (this can be achieved via firewall or network segmentation to isolate the computer from other systems).
•    Your company’s computer does not have software installed that causes cardholder data to be stored (such as batch processing or store and forward).
•    Your company’s computer does not have any attached hardware devices that are used to capture or store cardholder data (for example, no card readers).
•    Your company does not otherwise receive or transmit cardholder data electronically through any channels (such as an internal network or the Internet).
•    Your company retains only paper reports or paper copies of receipts, and;
•    Your company does not store cardholder data in electronic format.

PCI SAQ C-VT Policy Sample Templates for Compliance | Download Today
If your organization actually meets the above stated provisions, then self-assessing with PCI SAQ C-VT is permissible, which will requires documented PCI policies and procedures for compliance.  As for PCI SAQ C-VT, it mandates compliance with the following PCI DSS Requirements (i.e., sections): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 12.    Remember, there are twelve (12) different “requirements” within the PCI DSS standards, with many of them mandating PCI policies and procedures to be in place.  As for PCI SAQ C-VT compliance, merchants can purchase the actual PCI SAQ C-VT policy sample templates developed exclusively by pcipolicyportal.com, which greatly helps in the overall certification process.  Thus, simply purchase the SAQ C-VT policy sample templates, follow the PCI SAQ Certification process steps as discussed by pcipolicyportal.com, and be well on your way towards compliance.  

Additionally, pcipolicyportal.com also offers policy and procedure writing services, along with PCI policies and procedures for all other SAQ reporting mandates (A, B, C, D, P2PE-HW), including Level 1 onsite assessments by an actual PCI-QSA.  Contact us today to learn more, along with signing up for the free pcipolicyportal.com training webinars.

PCI DSS SAQ C Compliance | Forms | Questionnaires | Self-Assessments | PCI Security Policies

PCI DSS SAQ C – specifically, the actual questionnaire and accompanying forms – are an important component of the PCI DSS “self-assessment” process for many merchants involved in the storing, processing, and/or transmission of cardholder data.  PCI DSS SAQ C is specifically geared towards merchants that process cardholder data via payment applications (i.e., point of sale systems) connected to the Internet (i.e., Cable Modem, DSL), but actually do not store any cardholder data.
 
Requirements for allowing Merchants to use SAQ C for PCI DSS Compliance
Before beginning the process with SAQ C, please confirm the following (according to the actual SAQ C document available at pcisecuritystandards.org):

•    You have a payment application system and an Internet connection on the same device and/or same local area network (LAN).
•    The payment application | Internet device is not connected to any other systems within your environment (which can be effectively achieved through network segmentation).
•    You company store is not connected to other store locations, and any LAN is for a single store only.
•    Your company only retains paper reports or paper copies of receipts.
•    Your company does not store cardholder data in electronic format, and;
•    You company’s payment application vendor uses secure techniques to provide remote support to your payment system.

PCI SAQ C Policies and Procedures Templates for Compliance | Download Today
If you meet the above stated conditions, then self-assessing with PCI SAQ C is allowed, which also requires documented PCI policies and procedures for compliance.  Specifically, PCI SAQ C mandates compliance with Requirements 1 – 9 and 11 – 12 (Requirement 10 is omitted). Remember that the actual PCI DSS standards contain twelve (12) “Requirements” (i.e., sections).   Additionally, a large part of compliance with SAQ C is the various policies and procedures needed, for which merchants can obtain example PCI security policies right now from pcipolicyportal.com.  Just purchase the SAQ C policy and procedure templates, then follow the PCI SAQ Certification process steps as discussed by pcipolicyportal.com.  PCI compliance doesn’t have to be a challenging and taxing process, so trust the experts at pcipolicyportal.com for all your PCI security policies.  

pcipolicyportal.com also offers policy and procedure writing services, along with PCI policies and procedures for all other SAQ reporting mandates (A, B, C-VT, D, P2PE-HW), including Level 1 onsite assessments by an actual PCI-QSA.  Contact us today to learn more and sign up for the pcipolicyportal.com training webinars, free of charge.

PCI DSS SAQ B Compliance | Self-Assessment Questionnaires and Forms | PCI Compliance Policies

PCI DSS SAQ B – specifically, the actual questionnaire and accompanying forms – are an important component of the PCI DSS “self-assessment” process for many merchants involved in the storing, processing, and/or transmission of cardholder data.  PCI DSS SAQ B is specifically geared towards merchants that process cardholder data via imprint machines, or standalone dial-out terminals.  Furthermore, SAQ B merchants may be a traditional brick-and-mortar entity, or even e-commerce, mail and telephone order merchants.  

Requirements for allowing Merchants to use SAQ B for PCI DSS Compliance
Before beginning the process with SAQ B, please confirm the following (according to the actual SAQ B document available at pcisecuritystandards.org):

•    Your company uses only imprint machines and/or uses only standalone, dial-out terminals (connected via a phone line to your processor) to take your customers’ payment card information.
•    The standalone, dial-out terminals are not connected to any other systems within your environment.
•    The standalone, dial-out terminals are not connected to the Internet.
•    Your company does not transmit cardholder data over a network (either an internal network or the Internet).
•    Your company retains only paper reports or paper copies of receipts with cardholder data, and these documents are not received electronically, and;
•    Your company does not store cardholder data in electronic format.

PCI SAQ B Policies and Procedures Templates | Download Today | Become Compliant
If you can effectively answer “yes” to the above conditions, then self-assessing with PCI SAQ B is permitted – which you should know requires documented PCI policies and procedures for compliance – for which pcipolicyportal.com has developed specifically for SAQ B.  Moreover – as for SAQ B – merchants will need PCI compliance policies for a number of different areas, such as Requirements 3, 4, 7, 9, and 12.  Your answer – purchase the SAQ B policy and procedure templates, then follow the PCI SAQ Certification process steps as discussed by pcipolicyportal.com – it’s that easy.  
pcipolicyportal.com also offers policy and procedure writing services, along with PCI compliance policies for all other SAQ reporting mandates (A, C, C-VT, D, P2PE-HW), including Level 1 onsite assessments by an actual PCI-QSA.  Contact us today to learn more and sign up for the pcipolicyportal.com training webinars, free of charge.

PCI DSS SAQ A | Forms | Questionnaires | Self-Assessments | Compliance | Example PCI DSS Security Policy

PCI DSS SAQ A forms and questionnaires are an important part of the overall PCI DSS “self-assessment” process for millions of merchants in today’s complex and ever-changing economy.  Simply stated, if you store, process, and/or transmit cardholder data, then PCI DSS compliance is a must.  As for merchants that effectively outsource all credit card activities – meaning that no electronic storage, processing, or transmission cardholder data functions resides within an actual merchant’s environment, then self-assessing with PCI DSS SAQ A is permitted.  

Requirements for allowing Merchants to use SAQ A for PCI DSS Compliance
But before you being the process with SAQ A, please confirm the following (according to the actual SAQ A document available at pcisecuritystandards.org):

•    Your company only handles what’s known as “card-not-present” transactions – that is – you only accept e-commerce, mail/telephone orders.
•    Your company does NOT store process, and/or transmit any cardholder data on your systems – rather – relies entirely on third-party service providers for handling all of these functions.
•    Your company has also confirmed that the third-party service provider responsible for the storing, processing, and/or transmission of any cardholder is in fact PCI DSS compliant.
•    Your company only retains paper receipts, reports, and supporting material containing cardholder data, for which these documents are NOT received electronically.
•    Your company does NOT store any cardholder data in electronic format

PCI SAQ A Policies and Procedures Templates | Download Today | Become Compliant
If you meet the above mentioned conditions, then self-assessing with PCI SAQ A is allowed, which also requires documented policies and procedures for compliance.  That’s right – PCI SAQ mandates policies and procedures for Requirement 9 and Requirement 12.  Your answer is the example PCI DSS security policy documents and templates available for immediate download from pcipolicyportal.com.  Just purchase the SAQ A policy and procedure templates, then follow the PCI SAQ Certification process steps as discussed by pcipolicyportal.com – it’s that easy.  
Learn more about the PCI certification process for the Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQ A – D, and P2PE-HW), and the importance of example PCI DSS security policy documents and templates for compliance. Additionally, pcipolicyportal.com also offers policy and procedure writing services, along with PCI policies and procedures for all other SAQ reporting mandates (B, C, C-VT, D, P2PE-HW) and even for Level 1 onsite assessments by an actual PCI-QSA.  Contact us today to learn more and sign up for the pcipolicyportal.com training webinars, free of charge.

PCI SAQ Certification Process in 10 Easy Steps

Please review the following steps regarding the PCI DSS compliance certification process for the Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQ) for merchants and service providers:

1.  Determine Appropriate Merchant and Service Provider Level.  Before you begin down the road of the PCI DSS compliance certification process for Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQ) A – D, P2PE-HW, please confirm that your transaction processing levels actually allow “self-assessing”.  Simply view the various levels for Merchants (Levels 1 to 4) and Service Providers (Levels 1 and 2 only), which can be found at pcipolicyportal.com under the “Merchants” and “Service Providers” tabs on the homepage. Once you’ve done this, and are given the “green light”, then move to step 2.

2.  Determine which Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) to use.  There are numerous PCI DSS Self-Assessment Questionnaires – specifically – the following: SAQ A, SAQ B, SAQ C, SAQ C-VT, SAQ D, and SAQ P2PE-HW.  Moreover, each one of these Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQ) contains numerous PCI DSS compliance requirements – some which are considered relatively simple and straightforward (i.e., SAQ A), while others require a considerable amount of work to be done (i.e., SAQ C, SAQ C-VT, and D).  The best way to determine which one of the SAQ questionnaires to actually use for compliance is to simply visit pcipolicyportal.com and find the “SAQ A – D” tab on the homepage, which will provide detailed information on each of the following below referenced questionnaires.

•    SAQ A for Merchants (Card-not-present merchants, with all Cardholder Data functions being outsourced).
•    SAQ B for Merchants (Merchants with only imprint machines, or only stand-alone, dial-out terminals, with NO electronic cardholder data storage).
•    SAQ C for Merchants (Merchants with payment application systems connected to the Internet, but with NO electronic Cardholder Data storage).
•    SAQ C-VT for Merchants (Merchants using web-based virtual terminals, with NO electronic Cardholder Data storage).
•    SAQ D for Merchants and Service Providers (for all other Merchants not included in the descriptions for SAQ A – C-VT, and for ALL service providers defined by a payment brand as being actually eligible to complete a Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ), and the accompany Attestation of Compliance (AOC).
•    SAQ P2PE-HW for Merchants (Merchants using only hardware payment terminals included in a PCI SSC-listed, validated, P2PE solution, with NO electronic cardholder data storage.
Simply review the “Requirements for allowing Merchants” paragraph on each of the above sections to see if you in fact meet the stated requirements for utilizing the applicable questionnaire.

3.  Download the official SAQ Questionnaire and Attestation of Compliance (AoC).  The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) is the official organization ultimately responsible for the development, management, education, and awareness of the PCI Security Standards.  Their website, pcisecuritystandards.org, contains all essential PCI publications, including the actual SAQ Questionnaires and related forms. Simply visit the official PCI Security Standards Council website, and click on “PCI Standards & Documents”, then on the left-hand side, click on “Documents Library”, and finally, click on the“SAQs” tab, which is located on the top horizontal menu bar.  When you arrive on this page you’ll see a list of Self-Assessment Questionnaires, so simply pick the applicable SAQ and download the Microsoft Word document.  Don’t forget that when you download the applicable SAQ document, also included is the “Attestation of Compliance” (AoC), which will must eventually be completed (more on the AoC in a moment).

4.  Thoroughly Review the Applicable SAQ Questionnaire.  The PCI DSS compliance certification process for Self-Assessment Questionnaires now truly begins in earnest.  Specifically, it’s time to thoroughly read whichever SAQ document you downloaded (A – D, or P2PE-HW) and begin to truly understand what’s needed for PCI compliance.  Policies, procedures, and processes – that’s ultimately what PCI is all about –  so it’s important that various personnel are assigned specific roles and responsibilities for assisting with compliance.

5.  Purchase PCI Policies and Procedures from pcipolicyportal.com. You’ll need assistance with PCI compliance, and that’s where we come in.  Every one of the PCI Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQ) – from A to D, and P2PE-HW – ultimately requires organizations to develop documented PCI policies and procedures for compliance – it’s a strict mandate.  Your solution is the PCI policies and procedures developed exclusively by pcipolicyportal.com for each of the following PCI SAQ reporting mandates for merchants and service providers:

•    SAQ A for Merchants
•    SAQ B for Merchants
•    SAQ C for Merchants
•    SAQ C-VT for Merchants
•    SAQ D for Merchants and Service Providers
•    SAQ P2PE-HW for Merchants

Purchase and immediately download your PCI Policies Packet today for SAQ A, B, C, C-VT, D, and P2PE-HW.

6.  Get Compliant.  Again – policies, procedures, and processes – that’s what PCI compliance is all about, so do what’s needed to become compliant. The policies purchased from pcipolicyportal.com help in a big way, but there are other operational and technical demands, so pull together the necessary resources for whichever PCI DSS SAQ you need to be compliant with.  Ultimately, this means reading the entire SAQ document, and doing exactly as it says, checking the boxes along the way (literally) as you’ve complete each step.  

7.  Conduct Vulnerability Scans and Penetration Testing, if Necessary.  Please note that your organization may have to undergo annual penetration tests and vulnerability scans for compliance, so please keep this in mind. For an ounce of clarity, just remember the following:

•    PCI SAQ A – No vulnerability scans or penetration tests necessary.
•    PCI SAQ B – No vulnerability scans or penetration tests necessary.
•    PCI SAQ C – Vulnerability scans are required, but No penetration tests.
•    PCI SAQ C-VT – No vulnerability scans or penetration tests necessary
•    PCI SAQ D – Vulnerability scans are required, along with penetration tests.
•    PCI SAQ P2PE-HW – No vulnerability scans or penetration tests necessary.

If you need to conduct vulnerability scans, then simply use our trusted provided, Clone Systems. They’re a high-quality provider of PCI scanning services, and they’ve also offered our clients a discount. Here’s how it works. Simply visit Clone Systems and enter “ppp” into the “Coupon Code” field during the checkout process, and you’ll receive 10% off scanning services.

8.  Complete the Attestation of Compliance.  More commonly known as the AoC, this document was included within the actual Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) you downloaded, and it’s to be completed once all the requirements for your applicable SAQ have been met.  This document is often requested by payment processors, gateways, acquiring banks, customers, prospects and other interested parties wanting evidence of actual PCI DSS compliance and certification.  Remember, the notion of “self-assessing” is easier said than done, as quite a bit of work can be involved, so be sure to seek out resources as necessary. For PCI policies and procedures, that trusted source is none other than pcipolicyportal.com.

9.  Stay Compliant. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) are a “moving target”, something that organizations should be focusing on throughout the year. Set aside the notion of “one and done”, because PCI compliance is a commitment that should never cease.  

10.  Practice What You Preach.  You’ve spent considerable amount of time developing policies, procedures, and other standardized processes for PCI compliance, so follow them and stick to the best practices of information security!

We understand that you’ve got a business to run and compliance with today’s ever-growing laws, regulations, and industry specific mandates – such as PCI – are not always high on the list of “to do” items.  That’ll have to change – especially for PCI – as payment processors, acquiring banks, along with many other entities in the payment industry, are getting serious about compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) provisions.  PCI compliance can be a little overwhelming at first – we more than understand – it’s why we’ve provided industry leading policies, procedures, and supporting documentation to get you moving in the right direction.  We also provide hourly consulting services if you still have questions about the “who, what, when, where, and why” of PCI – contact us today to learn about pricing and how we can help.

PCI Security Policies for Instant Download

Visit pcisecuritypolicies.org today and download the very best PCI DSS policies and procedures found anywhere today.  http://www.pcisecuritypolicies.org/ is just another extension of our main site, pcipolicyportal.com, where merchants and service providers will find the very best PCI compliance documentation found anywhere today.  Compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards can be incredibly challenging, and it’s why businesses need PCI security policies now more than ever.