Do I Need PCI Compliance with Stripe?

Question: Do I Need PCI Compliance with Stripe?

Answer: Yes, you do, but you need to qualify exactly what your question means when asking “do I need PCI compliance with Stripe.” Let’s dig a little deeper to answer your question, providing you the necessary guidance in becoming compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) mandates.

First and foremost, let’s discuss what Stripe is, and how using Stripe can assist your organization in becoming PCI DSS compliant.

What is Stripe?

Stripe is essentially a company that has developed a software platform for payment processing; a platform that connects all relevant parties in the overall buying process. Buyers, sellers, developers – and more – they’re all a part of the Stripe software platform for payment processing. More specifically, Stripe touts their platform as “One Solution to Cover your Payment Needs”, effectively providing the following services relating to the full payment lifecycle for cardholder data (i.e., credit cards):

• Accept
• Process
• Settle and Reconcile
• Manage

Source: https://stripe.com/us/payments/features

So, to answer the question “Do I need PCI compliance with Stripe,” this would be determined by exactly what services you are using from them. So, let’s take a look at the following credit card services offered by Stripe:

Checkout (https://stripe.com/checkout)

Per Stripe, “Checkout is an embeddable payment form for desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. It works within your site—customers can pay instantly, without being redirected away to complete the transaction.” What’s great about “Checkout” is that it can reduce – but not entirely eliminate – your PCI DSS reporting requirements. Specifically, “Checkout” securely accepts a customer’s payment details and directly passes them to Stripe’s servers. Stripe then returns a token representation of those payment details, which can then be submitted to a server for use. Therefore, with Stripe, sensitive cardholder data does not hit your server, ultimately minimizing (but again, not eliminating) one’s PCI compliance reporting requirements.

The Stripe “Checkout” service essentially takes care of some of the most demanding aspects and parts of PCI compliance, such as the reporting requirements, if you store cardholder data. Merchants using Stripe Checkout can therefore greatly reduce many aspects of PCI DSS compliance reporting, such as tests in Requirement 3, and other requirements. The key is to NOT store cardholder data, and if you don’t, then yes, you can reduce your footprint in terms of PCI DSS compliance reporting. You can therefore use SAQ-A if you’re using “Checkout”, but you’ll still need to obtain PCI policies and procedures for SAQ-A, for which we offer, so download the pcipolicyportal.com SAQ-A packet today and get started!

Mobile SDK

Stripe’s mobile SDK development and change control is done in accordance with PCI DSS (requirements 6.3 – 6.5), thus delivered through Stripe’s PCI DSS validated architecture and supporting systems. As such, Stripe advises customers to rely on their official SDKs for iOS or Android, or to build a payment form with Elements in a WebView, to be eligible for the simplest form of PCI validation: SAQ A.

Bottom line: If you only use Stripe’s mobile SDKs or an Elements-based WebView, this essentially means that cardholder data passes directly from customers to the Stripe platform.However, if you decide to develop your own code and then transmit cardholder data to the Stripe API, you may be responsible for additional PCI DSS requirements (6.3 – 6.5), which would require compliance with SAQ A-EP or SAQ-D. And lastly, if your application is intended for your customers to enter their information on their own devices, then you qualify for SAQ A. pcipolicyportal.com offers industry leading SAQ policy packets for SAQ-A, SAQ A-EP, SAQ-D, and more.

Stripe.js v2

The PCI DSS Security Standards Council has put forth a number of changes to eligibility requirements for SAQ A. These require that businesses use input fields hosted by a payments provider in order to be eligible for SAQ A, which is by far the quickest, easiest, and simplest method for PCI DSS compliance. Luckily, Stripe has designed both Checkout and Elements with these changes in mind so that you can continue to validate using SAQ A, however, for Stripe.js v2, you’ll need to work a little harder in terms of PCI DSS compliance.

Bottom line, if you continue to use Stripe.js v2, you’ll thus be required to perform an actual SAQ A-EP annually to prove your business is PCI compliant. This is a much more complex endeavor, so working with a proven and trusted PCI DSS consultant, such as the professionals at pcipolicyportal.com, is highly recommended.

Dashboard

Please note that Stripe reminds users of their platform that manually creating card payments through the Dashboard is meant only for exceptional circumstances. This method should essentially never be how you routinely process payments, specifically, your customers should be entering their card information into a suitable payment form or mobile application.

Keep in mind that when cardholder data is manually entered into the Dashboard, Stripe ultimately cannot verify that it’s being kept secure outside of Stripe, therefore customers are responsible for ensuring the protection of cardholder data in accordance with the PCI DSS compliance requirements. Ultimately, merchants will be required to perform an SAQ C-VT annually for purposes of PCI DSS compliance.

Note that to be eligible for the simplest form of PCI validation, SAQ A, you are only allowed collect card information using Checkout, Stripe.js and Elements, or the mobile SDKs. Additionally, you can also make use of a third-party integration, such as an invoicing service or online marketplace, to ensure that you’re processing charges in a secure manner.

Directly to the API

Stripe discourage passing card information directly to Stripe’s API as it means one’s integration is directly handling card information. Even if merchants do not store any cardholder data, Stripe only help simplify PCI compliance for merchants if they have integrated with Checkout, Elements, or Stripe’s mobile SDKs.

If you continue to send credit card information directly to your API, you’ll ultimately be required to upload your SAQ D annually for purposes of proving PCI DSS compliance. Keep in mind that SAQ D is the most comprehensive and time-consuming of all the SAQs, with over 50 + pages of requirements you must implement for becoming – and remaining – PCI DSS compliance. Thus, pcipolicyportal.com recommends migrating to a client-side tokenization of card information to substantially reduce the scope of your PCI DSS compliance.

In addition to the significant PCI burden that this method places on businesses (specifically, merchants) it is not supported by Radar, which is Stripe’s fraud prevention toolset. Radar’s functionality (e.g., risk evaluation, rules, etc.) is only available when using any of Stripe’s methods of client-size tokenization.

Why pcipolicyportal.com when it comes to PCI Compliance for Stripe?

Simple? Because whatever the level and type of PCI DSS compliance you need to comply with when using stripe – from a simple SAQ A to a full-blown Level 1 onsite assessment by a PCI-QSA, pcipolicyportal.com has the documentation you need. We are the world’s leading provider of high-quality, professionally developed PCI policies, procedures, forms, checklists, and so much more.

If you want to save hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars on PCI DSS compliance, then it starts by utilizing our award-wining PCI policy toolkits. Visit pcipolicyportal.com today to learn more about the dozens of PCI policy toolkits and templates that are available for instant download today.

Using stripe for payment processing for transactions? Great, because it’s a highly secure tool, but don’t forget the importance of documentation for becoming compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS).

With documentation being one of the most time-consuming mandates for PCI compliance, you’ve now got a company that offers industry specific PCI Policy Toolkits, along with the following PCI SAQ Policy Packets:

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

References:

• https://stripe.com/docs/security#validating-pci-compliance
• https://stripe.com/docs/quickstart
• https://stripe.com/docs/stripe-js

Orange County, CA PCI SAQ Compliance, Certification, & Consulting

pcipolicyportal.com offers industry leading Orange County, CA PCI DSS compliance, certification and consulting services. From merchants to service providers, the growing Orange County economy just keeps getting bigger and busier, meaning a number of regulatory compliance mandates have come calling, especially PCI. Do you store, process, and/or transmit credit card information and are in need of an experienced, well-versed, and highly-skilled PCI DSS compliance expert for helping your business become compliant – then get to know Materdei Consulting, LLC, the founders of pcipolicyportal.com.

Since 2009, pcipolicyportal.com has been helping merchants and service provider all throughout the globe with our industry leading, easy-to-use, high-quality PCI policies and procedures and toolkits. With documentation being one of the most time-consuming mandates for PCI compliance, you’ve now got a company that offers industry specific PCI Policy Toolkits, along with the following PCI SAQ Policy Packets:

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

Comprehensive PCI Services for Orange County Businesses

Additionally, Materdei Consulting, LLC also offers the following comprehensive PCI compliance and consulting services for Orange County, CA merchants and service providers:

Fixed-Fee PCI DSS Scoping & Readiness Assessments

As a business in Orange County, CA, are you new to the world of PCI compliance, and do you have a strong technical and operational understanding of all necessary mandates for achieving certification? Have you taken the time to assess your documentation and security posture against the prescribed PCI DSS framework? These questions, and many others, should be asked amongst internal personnel for assessing the need for a PCI DSS scoping & readiness assessment. Trying to become PCI certified with little or no upfront, pre-certification due-diligence measures can be a recipe for disaster. PCI compliance is technical, challenging, so proper pre-planning and examination of one’s control is essential, and it’s why we offer such services.

More specifically, when you engage with Materdei Consulting, LLC for a PCI DSS scoping & readiness assessment, we’ll perform the following: (1). Assess business process boundaries regarding the storing, processing, and transmittal of cardholder data. (2). Examine and assess the maturity of your information security policies and procedures. (3). Recommend tools and solutions for becoming compliant, and next steps.
World-Class Providers of PCI SAQ Assistance and Completion of AoC

Completing an actual PCI DSS Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) can often be more challenging than initially thought. While the vast majority of merchants and service providers can luckily self-assess via a PCI SAQ document – therefore effectively avoiding the dreaded Level 1 onsite assessments – that doesn’t mean the SAQ process is a walk in the park.

In fact, three of the PCI SAQ documents – SAQ A-EP, SAQ D for Merchants, and SAQ D for Service Providers, can present immense challenges for companies. Why? Because the length and overall complexity of the questionnaires makes the entire process very difficult. What’s worse, if you don’t have a high-qualified and competent PCI DSS expert to assist, the process then becomes even harder.

The solution? Talk to the experts today at pcipolicyportal.com about our PCI SAQ assistance for Orange County, CA businesses. We’ve helped hundreds of OC merchants and service providers, so email us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com. If you’re looking to save dozens of hours and thousands of dollars on PCI SAQ compliance, then it’s recommended to hire an expert. “Going it alone” it quite difficult, so keep this in mind.

World-Class PCI Policy and Procedures Writing Solutions

Authoring PCI policies and procedures is what we do best, and it’s also one of the most time-consuming initiatives for becoming PCI DSS compliant. Merchants and service providers are spending dozens upon dozens of hours writing PCI policies and procedures, but it doesn’t have to be a laborious and time-consuming exercise – not any more.

Just simply download the PCI policies and procedures toolkits and packets at pcipolicyportal.com today. Since 2009, no other company has helped merchants and service providers more in terms of PCI DSS documentation requirements than us – so contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com to learn more.

We offer industry leading toolkits for the following PCI DSS reporting requirements:

• SAQ A
• SAQ A-EP
• SAQ B
• SAQ B-IP
• SAQ C
• SAQ C-VT
• SAQ P2PE-HW
• SAQ D for Merchants
• SAQ D for Service Providers
• Level 1 onsite assessments for merchants and service providers

Industry Leading Security Awareness Training

Hey Orange County, CA businesses. What’s the very best initiative for ensuring all employees are up to date on emerging security issues, threats, and best practices? If you said security awareness training – then you’re right, and we offer a high-quality, easy-to-use and implement training manual that’s authored by world-class compliance leaders. It’s available for download when you purchase any of our PCI policies and procedures packets.
Offering Easy-to-Use Risk Assessment Forms

For many merchants and service providers, performing a risk assessment is an absolute mandate, and we’ve got you covered with the very best risk management & risk assessment program. Our documentation is comprehensive, easy-to-use and implement, and is a great tool for assessing material risks to your business. Hey, performing a risk assessment, while mandatory for many merchants and service providers in the world of PCI DSS compliance, is also a best practice that every business should be performing.

Assistance with Vendor Selection for Security Products

Becoming PCI DSS compliant ultimately means acquiring various security tools and solutions. Perhaps it’s a tool for File Integrity Monitoring (FIM), or anti-virus, vulnerability scanning. Whatever the solution is, Materdei Consulting, LLC can assist, as we have years of experience helping merchants and service providers in choosing the right tools at the right price. Contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com to learn more.

PCI DSS Continuous Monitoring Services for Helping You STAY Compliant

Orange County, CA businesses that become PCI DSS compliant will no doubt need to maintain compliance on an annual basis, and this can be a time-consuming and somewhat challenging endeavor. The solution is to let Materdei Consulting, LLC provide a cost-effective, fixed-fee continuous monitoring program for you, one that keeps you compliant for years to come. Contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com to learn more.

Denver, Colorado PCI SAQ Compliance, Certification, & Consulting – Fixed Fees

With business booming in Denver, merchants, retailors, and other storefront entities are being required to become PCI DSS compliant. Do you store, process, and or transmit cardholder data, if so, talk to the experts at Materdei Consulting, LLC, Denver, Colorado’s leading provider of PCI DSS compliance and consulting services and solutions. We offer a full-lifecycle of PCI service offerings, from scoping & readiness assessments to PCI policy writing, assistance with completing the ever-growing list of Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQ), and more. Contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com, or call us at 424-274-1952 to learn more.

PCI Compliance is a Must for Denver, CO Businesses

Payment gateways and processors are demanding that their merchants become PCI DSS compliant each year, or face stiff fines and other penalties. With demanding workloads and competition everywhere, businesses are doing all they can to “stay” in business and remain profitable, which means PCI DSS compliance often takes a back seat in terms of prioritization. Yet with increasing cybersecurity threats and demanding compliance mandates looming, Denver merchants and service providers have no choice but to implement the necessary processes and procedures for becoming PCI compliant.

Frustrated on where to begin your PCI initiatives? Need assistance in developing a workable roadmap, one that includes developing much-needed PCI policies, training material, and more? Then do what other Denver, Colorado businesses are doing, and that’s turning to the experts at pcipolicyportal.com. You’ve worked long and hard in building a profitable business, so keep it that way by adhering to the PCI compliance requirements, while also putting in place a wide-range of information security best practices.

Download your PCI Policy Toolkit Today and Get Compliant

One of the most expensive and laborious processes for becoming – and staying – PCI compliant for Denver businesses are developing policy documents specific to PCI, implementing security awareness training, conducting an annual risk assessment, and more. Such initiatives require a combination of well-written InfoSec policy templates, along with comprehensive supporting materials, which is exactly what pcipolicyportal.com offers with PCI Policy Toolkits available for instant download today.

We take the pain out of PCI policy development for Denver, CO merchants and service providers by offering exceptionally well-researched and developed PCI policies that are simply second to none. Forget about revamping your antiquated InfoSec policies – we’ve got a much better, faster, and more cost-effective strategy – use our policy templates!

Colorado’s Leading Provider for PCI DSS Compliance, Consulting, Certification

pcipolicyportal.com offers the following PCI compliance and consulting services to the greater Denver area, including Boulder, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, Golden, and other regions:

PCI Scoping & Readiness Assessments: Achieving PCI DSS compliance efficiently means beginning with a scoping & readiness assessment. The notion that you can simply download the PCI DSS standards, check “yes” for in place for all items, and you’re then certified as compliant is simply false. Many entities fail to recognize the complexities and challenges with the PCI framework – all the more reason for working with proven professionals in helping to carefully scope and assess your environment.

Questions we ask for getting to the bottom of PCI compliance for such an exercise include: (1). What is the specific business process and how do you store, process, and transmit cardholder data? (2). Do you have adequate PCI policies and procedures in place and can we review them? (3). Are you aware of the various security tools and systems that need to be in place for PCI compliance, such as FIM, vulnerability scanning, etc.?

The list goes on, but the point to make is that we unearth all issues, ultimately laying the groundwork for a successful PCI compliance process from beginning to end. Simply stated, a PCI scoping & readiness assessment is an essential activity for long-term compliance success, so we highly recommend them. Merchants and service providers in Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, Golden – and all other areas within Colorado – can now turn to the experts at Materdei Consulting, LLC, so visit pcipolicyportal.com to learn more.

PCI Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) and AoC Guidance: What’s one of the demanding and challenging aspects of becoming PCI DSS compliant for Colorado merchants and service providers? If you answered that it’s filling out and completing the various PCI Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQ), then you’re correct. Millions of business in North America can “thankfully” self-assess against the ever-growing list of PCI SAQ documents, yet such material is becoming incredibly detailed, complex, and challenging, leaving many businesses frustrated and exhausted.

You need help completing the SAQ documents – and you’re not alone – as we often field phone calls from Colorado businesses who’ve called it quits on PCI compliance because the SAQ documents were so demanding. Don’t give up or give in, contact Colorado’s PCI compliance experts today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com. We’ll walk you through the entire set of PCI mandates, from Requirement 1 to Requirement 12, putting in place a structure roadmap that’s scalable, workable, and can deliver results.

Scanning Services: One of core mandates for PCI DSS compliance is performing regularly scheduled internal and external vulnerability scans. It’s not only a requirement for PCI DSS, it just makes sense from an information security best practices perspective. Scanning is critical as it identifies security threats and weaknesses within an organization’s network – and if not corrected – allows malicious hackers to ultimately penetrate a network.

Materdei Consulting, LLC offers services for sourcing scanning vendors for Colorado business. Looking for a cloud-based solution, or a traditional rack mounted device, or both? Have questions pertaining to scope and the relevant IP’s that must be scanned for PCI compliance? Need guidance on how to interpret and ultimately remediate failed scans? We provide all these services, and more, so contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com to learn more.

Penetration Testing: What’s without question one of the very initiatives any company can perform regarding the security posture – or lack thereof – of one’s network? It’s penetration testing, and it’s also a strict requirement for PCI DSS compliance. Materdei Consulting, LLC offers comprehensive penetration services for Colorado business, from traditional white-box and black-box testing, to hybrid test procedures. What’s more, the importance of penetration testing has resulted in the PCI DSS framework mandating that multiple such tests are required each year for compliance. The annual pen test days are over, so finding a high-quality, fixed-fee provider for penetration testing for Colorado business is critical.

Denver’s PCI DSS Compliance Experts – Give us a Call

PCI compliance isn’t an overnight process, especially with many of the complexities involved in today’s growing number of SAQ documents – but we can help you get across that finish line. We’ve been helping merchants and service providers all throughout Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, Colorado Spring, Golden – and other locations – since 2009, so let’s talk today about your PCI needs.

PCI Policy Writing Solutions: One of the most demanding and time-consuming aspect of PCI DSS compliance is authoring the almost endless amounts of documents needed – specifically – the dozens of PCI policies and procedures. From Requirement 1 to Requirement 12, up to fifty different PCI policies are needed, and it’s why Materdei Consulting, LLC offers comprehensive policy writing services. Sure, our PCI policies and procedures are industry leading and easy to configure, but if you’re looking for that extra level of customization and short on time, then let us author your policies for you.

We’ve been helping Denver merchants and service providers save thousands of dollars on policy writing requirements, so contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com to learn more. Whatever the industry is you’re, in, we offer a wide-range of PCI policies and procedures for helping ensure rapid and complete compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) mandates for Denver, CO merchants and service providers.

Vendor Selection for Security Tools/Products: Are you familiar with File Integrity Monitoring (FIM), two-factor authentication (2FA), network-based Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) – if so, great – if not, then get to know these security solutions as they’re essential for meeting PCI compliance. We can help source high-quality, cost-effective vendors that offer such tools, saving you dozens of hours when it comes to choosing the right vendor(s).

Continuous Monitoring for Compliance: Hey, PCI DSS compliance for Denver merchants and service providers is not a one-and-done scenario – not at all. If you’ve climbed to the top of the PCI DSS compliance mountain by becoming complaint, then congratulations, but you’ll have to stay there, and that requires work. What type of work – it’s what we call Continuous Monitoring – regularly assessing your internal controls and related policies, procedures, and processes – and making changes as necessary.

It can be a big challenge – Continuous Compliance, that is – but not with Materdei Consulting, LLC, as we offer comprehensive services, forms, checklists, and other solutions for keeping you on top of the PCI DSS compliance mountain. Ready to learn more, then email us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com to learn more about our PCI DSS compliance services and solutions for Denver, CO merchants and service providers.

PCI DSS Compliance Requirements for Financial Institutions

PCI compliance requirements for financial institutions – banks, insurance companies, mortgage brokers/agencies, and others – requires such entities to put in place comprehensive internal controls, along with supporting documentation. It can be an incredibly challenging and daunting task – but it doesn’t have to be – so long as you have a solid understanding of the overall intent and merit of PCI DSS compliance, along with helpful tools for getting you past the finish line. Financial institutions are some of the most heavily regulated sectors in the U.S. economy, thus the PCI DSS mandates are yet another layer of regulatory requirements that require immediate attention.

Our PCI Compliance Toolkits save Financial Institutions Thousands of Dollars

Before we dig into best practices for PCI compliance requirements for financial institutions, just a quick note that pcipolicyportal.com offers industry leading, award-winning PCI Compliance Toolkits containing hundreds of pages of information security policies, procedures, forms, checklists, and numerous other documents – essential material for helping FI’s become compliant.

From policy templates to security awareness training material, risk assessment templates – and more – our PCI Policy Packets & Compliance Toolkits for banking & financial services entities will save you hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars. Visit pcipolicyportal.com today to learn more.

8 Essential Things Financial Institutions Need to Know About PCI Compliance

Understanding important elements of PCI compliance will ultimately save you hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars on annual costs associated with the PCI DSS standards. Financial institutions are often storing, processing, and transmitting cardholder data, and because of this, not only is PCI DSS compliance mandatory, but additional consideration must be taken with other existing compliance mandates and the relationship to consumer data that FI’s store. With that said, let’s dig into some important things you need to know.

1. Begin with a Scoping & Readiness Assessment. A PCI DSS scoping & readiness assessment – which can be performed by internal personnel or a seasoned PCI DSS professional – is absolutely necessary for FI’s who have never undertaken this type of compliance mandate. After all, you want to assess and confirm scope, identify gaps and deficiencies, put in place a structured roadmap with deliverables and milestones, and more.

That’s exactly what you’ll get out of a PCI DSS scoping & readiness assessment – when properly performed. Scope creep for compliance often begins by not truly understanding the boundaries of an audit and the remediation efforts that must be performed for becoming compliant, so keep that in mind.

2. Understand the Relationship with Credit Cards and Consumer Data (i.e., PII, etc.). There are more than likely a number of scenarios where FIs are storing both cardholder data and sensitive consumer data, which essentially falls under the larger umbrella of Personally Identifiable Information (PII). While the lawyers, pundits, and academia world like to argue as to what the definition of PII is and what is constitutes – and there’s quite a bit of chatter on this topic – we can all agree that any type of information relating to consumer information needs to be protected, no question about it.

Thus, not only does PCI compliance have crossover applicability to the likes of numerous banking and financial regulations, it also allows the PCI standards to be used as a great starting point in terms of baseline information security best practices.

3. Policies and Procedures are Critical for Compliance. If any industry is well aware of the layers of bureaucracy, it’s banking and financial, which also means you’re well aware of the importance of documentation – specifically – policies and procedures. Sure, they’re exhausting to develop, and can be quite costly, and it’s why FI’s download our PCI Policy Packets & Compliance Toolkits for banking & financial services entities at pcipolicyportal.com. Everything you need for PCI compliance in terms of documentation is right there for you, ultimately resulting in big savings in terms of operational man-hours.

4. Expect Technical Remediation to be Performed. FI’s new to the PCI DSS framework will without question have a number of technical “to do” items on their task list, and that’s largely because the PCI mandates are comprehensive, covering a wide-range of information security domains. We already spoke about the importance of PCI policies and procedures, but consider the following technical/security requirements found within the current Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards framework:

• Provisioning and hardening of firewall rules/configuration files
• Server hardening
• Anti-virus
• File Integrity Monitoring (FIM)
• Two-factor/multifactor authentication
• Audit logs and audit trails
• Vulnerability scanning
• Penetration testing
• Intrusion Detection System (IDS)
• And more

As you can clearly see, it’s a healthy list of initiatives, many of which can take time and money to successfully implement. Luckily, Materdei Consulting, LLC has years of experience helping FI’s in becoming PCI compliant. We know what tools you need to implement, what vendors you should turn to, and more. It’s just another reason why companies all throughout North America turn to us for industry leading PCI solutions and consulting services. Visit pcipolicyportal.com today to learn more.

5. Assessing Risk is Mandatory. So what’s one of the most important initiatives any business should be doing ever year, regardless of industry, size, or sector? Assessing risk, that’s what! How can a company reasonably expect to survive and move forward without understanding short-term and long-term issues, risks and threats to the organization? Risk assessments, when performed properly, are very beneficial and insightful indeed, and they’re also a strict requirement for many merchants and service providers seeking to become PCI DSS compliant. Our PCI Policy Packets & Compliance Toolkits for banking & financial services offer a comprehensive and easy-to-use risk assessment packet.

6. The Importance of Security Awareness Training. Do you train your employees on a regular basis regarding essential security threats, issues, and topics for today’s complex and digitally driven economy we all live in? If not, now’s the time, because much like risk assessments, security awareness training is a best practice every business should be performing, and it’s also a mandate for many merchants and service providers. pcipolicyportal.com offers an in-depth, high-quality security awareness training packet consisting of a PowerPoint presentation and a training manual – thus giving you two options for PCI security awareness training. Knowledge is power – all the more reason to perform annual PCI security awareness training.

7. Annual Compliance is Mandatory. There’s no such thing as a one-and-done scenario for PCI DSS compliance for any business. While becoming PCI DSS compliant is a monumental milestone to meet, staying compliant year after year is often a more taxing, time-consuming, and challenging process. The world of regulatory compliance just continues to grow each year, with the PCI DSS framework often leading the way. With millions of businesses storing, processing, and/or transmitting cardholder data, the safety and security of credit card information is now more important than ever, so turn to the proven and trusted experts today at pcipolicyportal.com. Call us today at 424-274-1952 to learn more about our products, services, and solutions and how we can help FI’s become PCI DSS compliant.

8. Put in place “Continuous Monitoring”. As for mandatory PCI DSS compliance, the very best way to ensure one’s annual PCI certification is kept current is by putting in place a concept known as “Continuous Monitoring” – the practice of inspecting, assessing, changing and ultimately enhancing one’s internal controls at it relates to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards. Visit pcipolicyportal.com to learn more today.

Download PCI Compliance Toolkit today and get Compliant

Becoming PCI compliant for FI’s requires a tremendous amount of documentation – no question about it – and it’s why businesses in the banking and financial services sector turn to pcipolicyportal.com and instantly download the PCI Policy Packets & Compliance Toolkits for banking & financial services. Spending hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars on costly policy and procedures writing is not high on anybody’s wish list, so do what thousands of businesses have done since 2009, and that’s download the very best set of PCI policy and compliance documents today from pcipolicyportal.com.

Overview of PCI Compliance & Certification for Cloud Computing and SaaS Vendors

PCI compliance & certification for cloud computing and Software as a Service (SaaS) vendors is becoming a notable topic in regulatory compliance as numerous technology companies are now heavily involved in the storage and transmission of cardholder data. While they may not be technically “processing” cardholder data, the very notion of storing and transmitting such sensitive information puts cloud computing and SaaS vendors clearly in the crosshairs for PCI DSS compliance. Take note of the following checklist and best practices regarding compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) for cloud computing & SaaS vendors, provided by pcipolicyportal.com:

Assessing Scope and Understanding Your Requirements are Critical.

The vast majority of cloud computing and Software as a Service (SaaS) vendors are essentially offering client facing, web based services, be it multi-tenancy, an architecture in which a single instance of a software application serves multiple customers, to multi-instance architectures, where separate software instances operate on behalf of different tenants. Because of the complexities involved in these environments, assessing scope – and ultimately, PCI DSS compliance responsibilities – can become subjective, to say the least. Thus, analyzing the twelve (12) respective PCI DSS mandates is what’s needed for ultimately ensuring the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards are being met as required for cloud computing and SaaS vendors.

But even before that, it’s important to understand the various types of cloud offerings (i.e., deployment models), along with the respective service models, as this ultimately will determine scope and which of the twelve (12) PCI DSS requirements are applicable to a cloud computing/SaaS vendor (herein collectively referred to as a Cloud Service Provider – CSP).

As for deployment models, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides the following information:

Private cloud – A cloud platform operating solely for a single entity/client. The platform itself may be managed by the single entity/client itself or an actual third-party service provider, and it may even be on premise or an off premise deployment. The key is “private” in that it’s dedicated to one single organization, with no “sharing” of cloud resources.

Community cloud – A cloud platform that’s essentially shared by several entities, supporting a specific community with shared requirements or needs (for example, business model, security requirements, policy, or compliance considerations). The platform itself may be managed by the single entity/client itself or an actual third-party service provider, and it may even be on premise or off premise deployment.

Public cloud – The cloud platform that’s generally available for use by the general public and/or some type of industry group. More specifically, a public cloud is a multi-tenant environment, whereby services in a cloud computing environment are shared with a number of other clients or tenants, thus a “multi-tenant” environment.

Hybrid cloud – This particular cloud platform generally consists of a combination of two or more respective cloud platforms effectively bound together by technology for enabling delivery of services. According to the PCI DSS Guidelines publication on cloud computing, “Hybrid clouds are commonly used for redundancy or load-balancing purposes”.

So those are the different types of cloud models – but what about the service models – the delivery format for each of the cloud models? Again, with cloud technology still an evolving concept, one can at least define service delivery in the following manner:

Software as a Service (SaaS): Currently the largest – and most recognizable form of cloud computing – is Software as a Service, simply known as SaaS. Characteristics of SaaS cloud computing include the following:

• SaaS uses the web to deliver applications that are managed by a third-party vendor and whose interface is accessed on the clients’ side.
• Most SaaS applications can be run directly from a web browser without any downloads or installations required, although some require plugins for optimal performance.
• SaaS provides the ability for clients to use the provider’s applications running on a cloud infrastructure. Thus, the applications are accessible from various client devices through either a thin client interface, such as a web browser, or a program interface.
• With SaaS, it’s quite easy for enterprises to streamline their maintenance and support, because everything can be managed by vendors, such as the operating systems, applications, runtime, data, middleware, virtualization, servers, storage, networking, etc.

Additionally, other characteristics of SaaS is that software is managed from a central location, delivered in a “one to many” model, with users not required to handle software upgrades and patches to the SaaS platform itself.  Examples of SaaS models include Google Apps, Salesforce, Workday, Concur, Citrix GoToMeeting, Cisco WebEx, and many others.

Platform as a Service (PaaS): Though the lines are blurring between PaaS, IaaS, and SaaS, the actual PaaS offering is looked upon as a platform for clients to deploy their applications (created or acquired) onto an actual cloud infrastructure, using programming languages, libraries, services, and tools, etc. that are supported by the cloud provider. Specifically, what developers gain with a PaaS framework is the ability to build upon, develop or customize applications, making development, testing, and deployment of applications quick, simple, and easy – all things considered.

PaaS allows the ability to effectively develop applications using software components that are built into the PaaS platform itself. Applications using PaaS therefore inherit cloud characteristic such as scalability, high-availability, while benefiting from the amount of development – specifically, coding – that is necessary. Simply stated, PaaS allows users to effectively create software applications using tools supplied by the provider.

With a PaaS platform, one can expect to have the following service offerings available:

• Operating system
• Server-side scripting environment
• Database management system
• Server Software
• Tools for design and development
• Support
• Storage
• Network access
• Hosting

Examples of PaaS models include salesforce.com, along with Amazon’s AWS and Microsoft’s Assure platforms.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): IaaS allows a user to spin up a virtual machine in no time, with that machine often being nothing more than a bare bones platform running just an operating system, or one with a preconfigured system or software stack. Therefore, the user is ultimately responsible for managing the resources on that machine. For example, disk utilization and CPU capacity usage issues are left to the user to monitor and administer. It also means that you’ll be spending time evaluating, assessing, and implementing various tools and plugins for helping ensure the safety and security of your IaaS platform. From anti-virus needs to File Integrity Monitoring FIM) – and more – IaaS platforms can require a tremendous amount of work, so keep this in mind.

The most popular public IaaS provider is Amazon, with EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud). Other competitors include Google Compute Engine, RackSpace, DigitalOcean, Azure, and Linode.

While many businesses very well find themselves agreeable to SaaS and PaaS platforms, due to the resource savings and reduced responsibilities for administering the cloud infrastructure, they also need to know that there’s a greater loss of control of the environment housing their sensitive data. It means that businesses will need to conduct their own due-diligence for ensuring compliance mandates by such vendors – specifically that of PCI DSS – are being met, and maintained. For simplicity and an ounce of clarity, just remember that SaaS model decrease the degree of PCI DSS compliance for businesses using such services, while IaaS platforms increase the degree of PCI DSS compliance. The more you rely on a cloud provider for a platform – and its underlying functioning – the less you need to worry about PCI compliance – generally speaking, that is.

Documentation is key to the success of PCI compliance.

That’s right and when we say “documentation”, we’re talking about putting in place comprehensive information security policies and procedures, but also various processes and initiatives that also require documentation. PCI DSS compliance – much like any of today’s growing compliance edicts – demands granular and in-depth policies and procedures for ensuring compliance – it’s just the world we live in today. Take note of the following areas of documentation regarding PCI compliance for cloud computing and Software as a Service (SaaS) vendors:

Information Security Policies and Procedures: It’s probably fair to say that almost everyone in the world of regulatory compliance is aware of the need for information security policies and procedures – the essential documents that form the basis of any company’s daily I.T. environment. But remember that policies are just that – nothing more than written words – if not enacted upon and followed, and that’s the “procedures” aspect of them. You don’t want your documentation becoming “shelfware” – a term that essentially means policies have been developed, and then never looked at again or even followed – that’s not a healthy practice. pcipolicyportal.com offers industry leading PCI policies for instant download today.

Risk Assessment Materials: A large part of PCI compliance for cloud computing and Software as a Service (SaaS) vendors is much more than policies – it’s about taking action and implementing initiatives – such is the case with assessing organizational risk for cloud computing providers. Specifically, PCI compliance mandates that an annual risk assessment be performed for assessing risks, threats, and other issues from an enterprise-wide perspective, which includes the cardholder data environment. pcipolicyportal.com offers an in-depth and easy-to-use risk assessment program allowing for effective documentation of all critical and essential risk categories within an organization., and it’s available for instant download today! We hope you enjoyed our overview on PCI compliance for cloud computing and Software as a Service (SaaS) vendors.

Are you a merchant or service provider that’s been through an annual on-site assessment by a Payment Card Industry Qualified Security Assessor (PCI QSA), or are looking to achieve compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) initiatives in the near future? Want to avoid having your PCI engagement turn into a nightmare? If so, take note of the experiences and first-hand accounts from a highly qualified PCI compliance firm that’s worked with numerous companies regarding PCI certification, and that’s Materdei Consulting, LLC. While we’re widely known throughout the world as the leading provider of PCI policies and compliance packets, we also offer high-quality, professional consulting and advisory services to merchants and service providers throughout North America. Visit pcipolicyportal.com today to learn more.

We’re Experts at Turning PCI Compliance into an Efficient Process

PCI DSS compliance is fast becoming one of the most widely recognized compliance initiatives around the globe, and for good reason. If your organization – which is traditionally defined as a merchant or service provider in the world of PCI compliance – is directly involved in the processing, storage, or transmission of transaction data or cardholder, then without question you are a candidate for PCI DSS compliance.

But how difficult can PCI compliance be? After all, you simply follow the prescribed matrix from the PCI Security Standards Council, implement the requirements and “check the box”, right? Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. PCI DSS assessments often turn into engagements of nightmarish proportions as personnel involved within the assessment itself fail to effectively plan and strategize for the following 4 key areas.

4 Important Components for PCI DSS Compliance

Perform an upfront PCI DSS Scoping & Readiness Assessment: You need to crawl before you walk – as the old saying goes – and with that said, successful PCI DSS engagements can only be achieved when you undertake an actual PCI DSS scoping & readiness assessment BEFORE the engagement commences. Crucial to the overall on-site assessment, a well-planned and executed scoping & readiness assessment effectively defines scope, identifies personnel to be involved in the process, while also assessing critical gaps and deficiencies that require remediation. Make no mistake, when a PCI DSS scoping & readiness assessment is done correctly, EVERY company will have a marginal to meaningful amount of remediation to conduct, and that’s because no organization has a picture-perfect control environment.

You need to be aware of missing documents, gaps in operational procedures, features to enable on various security tools, and much more, and that’s exactly what Materdei Consulting, LLC offers, all at a competitively priced fixed-fee. Contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com to learn more.

Policies and Procedures are Incredibly Important: As one of North America’s leading PCI DSS consulting firms, we can’t tell you how many times prospective or actual clients ask, “Where can I find PCI policy and procedure templates” or “how much do you charge to write them, because we just don’t have the time”. The point is that developing policies and procedures for PCI DSS compliance is often one of the most time-consuming aspects of the engagement itself. Shocked at that statement? You shouldn’t be. Read through the PCI requirements matrix lately? We’ve counted approximately three dozen “tests” throughout the 12 functional PCI requirements that call for a documented policy or procedure. Our advice is to find a reputable vendor that provides policies and procedures –such us the products we offer – and download them today.

Unexpected Operational Time Commitments: Familiar with two-factor authentication, a web application firewall (WAF), or file integrity monitoring (FIM), just to name a few catchy PCI phrases? If not, and you’re considering tackling PCI compliance, then you need to invest considerable operational time commitments into implementing many of the tools and appliances required by PCI. And here’s what’s interesting; many of these tools can be had via open source-requiring minimal costs to obtain usage rights for them. Thus, it’s generally not the financial costs to obtain these tools that cause significant strains on PCI engagements, rather, the unplanned operational time commitments in provisioning and hardening these tools within the cardholder data environment.

Continuous Monitoring can be Challenging: Once you’ve become PCI DSS compliant, the fun just begins because annual compliance is mandatory. That’s right, ensuring your policies, procedures, and processes are in place and control are operating as designed can be a time-consuming process, but it’s got to be done, hence the requirement of “Continuous Monitoring” comes into play. Contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com to learn more about our nationwide PCI DSS consulting, certification, and compliance services for merchants and service providers.

PCI Compliance Certification & SAQ Consulting for North Carolina Merchants

Materdei Consulting, LLC offers PCI compliance & Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ consulting services for North Carolina merchants, service providers, and other businesses seeking assistance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) mandates. If you store, process, and/or transmit cardholder data as a North Carolina business, then becoming – and maintaining – PCI DSS compliant is essential. We’ve been helping North Carolina businesses in Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham – and all other locations in North Carolina – with PCI compliance since 2009 with proven consulting and compliance services, such as scoping & readiness assessments PCI policies and procedures writing, assistance with completion of various SAQ documentation, technical remediation, and much more.

Rapid Compliance for North Carolina Business with our PCI Policy Packets

Thousands of merchants and service providers around the world have purchased our industry leading PCI Policy Packets containing hundreds of pages of professionally researched and written policies, forms, templates, and other essential PCI DSS documents. Documentation is one of the most demanding and time-consuming aspects of becoming PCI compliant, so visit pcipolicyportal.com today and learn more about our wide-range of PCI Policy Packets available for instant download. Whatever the industry, we’ve got North Carolina businesses in Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham – and all other locations – covered with high-quality, easy-to-use and implement PCI policies and procedures.

North Carolina’s PCI DSS SAQ Experts – Call Us

Most merchants and service providers in North Carolina can “thankfully” self-assess against the PCI DSS Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQ) provided by the PCI Security Standards, ultimately bypassing the dreaded Level 1 onsite assessments by a PCI-QSA. Unfortunately, most businesses initially think the SAQ process is relatively easy and straightforward, and that’s where the challenge begins. In fact, a number of the SAQ documents – particularly SAQ A-EP and SAQ D – can be incredibly difficult to complete, particularly for businesses new to PCI compliance.

It’s why Materdei Consulting, LLC offers comprehensive, high-quality, fixed-fee consulting services for helping North Carolina merchants and service providers in Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham – and all other locations – with successfully completing today’s demanding SAQ documents. From Requirement 1 to Requirement 12, our highly-trained PCI compliance experts will walk your organization through every question, offering guidance and much needed insight for ensuring timely completion of the relevant SAQ. From clarifying scope to determining documentation needs, and more, we’ll get you through the SAQ process quickly and efficiently, that’s our promise.

Comprehensive PCI Services for North Carolina Businesses

Materdei Consulting, LLC offers the following PCI DSS services and solutions for North Carolina merchants and service providers in Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham – and all other locations:

PCI DSS Scoping & Readiness Assessments: North Carolina businesses new to PCI DSS compliance or are just seeking a refresher will no doubt benefit from a PCI scoping & readiness assessment from Materdei Consulting, LLC. Performed by seasoned experts, we can help in identifying and confirming scoping boundaries, assessing internal control gaps and weaknesses, provide recommendations for long-term deliverables, establishing milestones, and much more.
We’ve performed hundreds of PCI DSS scoping & readiness assessments, which means you’ll be taken through an efficient process for helping North Carolina businesses become PCI compliant. If you’re looking for expert guidance from beginning to end of your entire PCI DSS certification process, then you’ve found the right firm.

Policy and Procedures Writing: What’s one of the most demanding, expensive, and time-consuming initiatives for becoming PCI compliant? It’s documentation, more specifically, developing all the necessary information security policies and procedures for PCI compliance, and it’s why we offer industry leading, award-winning PCI policies and toolkits for all industries, and available for instant download today. Writing PCI policies takes time – often dozens of hours – so do yourself a huge favor and obtain high-quality, easy-to-use and implement documents from pcipolicyportal.com. We offer both PCI policy packets for both onsite assessments and for PCI DSS Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQ).

Perhaps you have information security policies and procedures in place – great – but before getting too excited, ask yourself the following questions: (1). Do our InfoSec policies and procedures map directly to the prescriptive requirements set for the in the actual Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) framework? Do our policies contain current information in relation the organization’s core business functions? Do we actually read, acknowledge our policies on a regular basis? Can you answer a strong YES to all of these? If so, great. If not, then it’s time to consider downloading the PCI policies and procedures toolkits and templates today from pcipolicyportal.com.

Regardless of the compliance mandate being forced upon you – PCI DSS, HIPAA, FISMA, SOX – all of these regulations have one thing in common and that’s the need for comprehensive information security policies and procedures. Visit pcipolicyportal.com to learn more and begin you process of becoming PCI compliant quickly.

We also offer PCI policy writing services for North Carolina businesses in Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham – and all other locations – so if you’re pressed for time and looking for customized InfoSec policies, we can help. Contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com to learn more.

Technical and Operational Remediation: Need assistance in implementing various technical solutions, such as a vulnerability scanning tool, File Integrity Monitoring (FIM), Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) and more? We offer comprehensive services for helping North Carolina businesses in implementing these various tools and initiatives. Simply stated, we can get in front of your systems and provision agents and configure servers as needed, if necessary.

Assistance with Vendor Selection: Are you aware of the various tools that need to be in place for becoming PCI DSS compliant? There are literally hundreds of vendors offering security products for the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) industry – some good, some not so good. Who’s going to help you filter through all the marketing noise and find the right product and solution at the right price? We can, as we’ve helped numerous North Carolina merchants and service providers with this very task.

It’s easy to spend tens of thousands of dollars on products and solutions that you may not need, so getting expert guidance and help is essential as making the wrong decision can be very costly. The main security tools you need include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Vulnerability Scanning Solution
• Two-Factor Authentication
• Network Based Intrusion Detection System
• File Integrity Monitoring
• Anti-Virus
• Web Application Firewall
• Encryption
• Audit Logging and Audit Trail Retention
• Penetration Testing

Penetration Testing: As just discussed, performing a penetration test is often a mandate for PCI compliance (note: not every organization has to perform one, it depends on which SAQ you answer), but more important, it’s a security best practice every business in North Carolina should be employing.

Continuous Monitoring: So, you’ve become PCI DSS compliant as a merchant or service provider in North Carolina? Congratulations, but now the real challenge begins. Getting to the top of the PCI mountain is one thing, but staying there and maintaining compliance is often the more challenging task. What you’ll need to do is implement a process for continuing to monitor, assess, update, and ultimately enhance your internal controls for PCI. It’s about ensuring your policies, procedures, and processes are being constantly maintained in accordance with the PCI DSS standards; a concept effectively known in the world of regulatory compliance as “Continuous Monitoring”.

Materdei Consulting, LLC – the world’s leading provider of PCI policies, procedures and toolkits – offers comprehensive documentation for helping North Carolina merchants and service providers in Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham – and all other locations – monitor their PCI environment on a regular basis. Sure, it’s easy to “fall of the PCI wagon” in terms of compliance, but with heavy fines and penalties looming, you can’t afford to become non-compliant. Our industry leading PCI policies and toolkits contain essential documentation for helping businesses become – and stay – PCI compliant, so visit pciplicyportal.com today to learn more.

Need Assistance with PCI SAQ Certification – Let’s Talk

Since 2009, we’ve assisted numerous North Carolina businesses – from Charlotte to Raleigh-Durham, and all other locations throughout the state – in becoming compliant with the relevant SAQ documentation. Contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com to learn more. As a North Carolina businesses, whatever your PCI needs are – from PCI policies to SAQ help, and more – Materdei Consulting, LLC is ready to assist.

PCI Compliance Certification & SAQ Consulting Austin, TX Merchants

Are you a merchant or service provider in Austin, TX seeking PCI compliance certification and consulting assistance from a trusted and proven provider? Looking for a high-quality firm offering fixed-fee pricing and professional services, from PCI scoping & readiness assessments to PCI Policy writing, assistance with Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) completion, and more? Then turn to Austin’s leading provider of PCI compliance services, Materdei Consulting, LLC, a born and bred Texas firm!

Get PCI Compliant with our Policy Toolkits!

One of the most demanding initiatives for becoming compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) are the mandates for comprehensive documentation. Specifically, it’s about developing the dozens of essential information security policies and procedures for each of the twelve (12) respective PCI DSS “Requirements”. Companies often spend dozens of hours writing PCI policies and procedures – but there’s got to be a better way, right? There is, and it’s the industry leading PCI policy toolkits and templates available for instant download today at pcipolicyportal.com.

The documentation contains all necessary templates, forms, checklists, and other essential materials for helping merchants and service providers become PCI compliant. If you’re into saving thousands of dollars and removing all types of headaches for PCI compliance, contact us today to learn more about our products, services, and solutions for Austin, TX businesses.

Proven PCI DSS Solutions for Austin, TX Businesses

Since 2009, we’ve been helping businesses all throughout Austin – and the entire state of Texas – in meeting the rigorous demands set forth by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). While you may know as the world leader in PCI policies and procedures – we’ve helped thousands of companies since 2009 with our high-quality templates & documents, we also offer the following services and solutions to Austin, TX businesses:

PCI Scoping & Readiness Assessments: Need assistance in understanding and correctly scoping your environment for PCI DSS compliance? Unsure as to what documentation needs to be in place, security tools, and other essential initiatives? Looking for expert guidance throughout the entire process, from beginning to end? Then it’s time consider performing a PCI DSS scoping & readiness assessment; a highly beneficial and invaluable process for learning more about both PCI and your internal controls.

Technical and Operational Remediation: Need assistance in changing, re-configuring, and enhancing your security processes? We can assist. From re-configuring firewalls to strengthening passwords – and much more – Materdei Consulting, LLC is your leading provider of PCI DSS consulting services for Austin, Texas businesses.

PCI Policy Writing: If you still would like additional assistance regarding PCI policies and procedures, then we’d be happy to assist in customizing your existing documents for you, essentially taking them to that next level of quality.
Assistance with Vendor Selection of Security Tools: Often times, a wide-range of tools and software solutions are needed for PCI compliance, and we can help Austin businesses sift through the large – and growing number – of providers, getting you just what you need and at the price you’ll want.

Austin’s PCI DSS SAQ Experts

One of the more demanding and challenging aspects of becoming compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) is successfully completing the applicable Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) for becoming compliant. Because most Austin, TX businesses can luckily self-assess – and fortunately not have to perform a dreaded Level 1 onsite audit – they often make the mistake of failing to source a PCI professional for much-needed guidance. In reality, the phrase “self-assessment” is often misleading indeed, further reason for ensuring you work with an expert for becoming PCI compliant.

Sure, some of the PCI SAQ documents are relatively straightforward, such as SAQ A, but a number of them, particularly SAQ A-EP and SAQ D, can be incredibly difficult and complex, especially for businesses new to PCI compliance. Our PCI SAQ consulting services are offered at fixed-fees and performed by highly qualified professionals with years of PCI DSS experience. Need answers to critical scoping questions, explanations as to what the SAQ process actually entails – and more – then contact us today at pci@pcipolicyportal.com. Since 2009, we’ve helped hundreds of Texas businesses in becoming PCI compliant with our proven and cost-effective PCI DSS SAQ consulting services, and we’d like to help you.

Vulnerability Scanning & Penetration Testing: Performing scanning – both internal and external – along with penetration tests, is often a requirement for PCI DSS compliance – two endeavors we can assist with also.

Continuous Monitoring: Becoming PCI compliance is a challenge – no question about it – but staying PCI DSS compliant is often the more time-consuming and burdensome requirement, but we can help. We offer a wide-range of continuous monitoring solutions for Texas businesses. Turn to the Austin, TX PCI compliance certification and consulting experts today at Materdei Consulting, LLC. Visit pcipolicyportal.com to learn more.

PCI Compliance Certification & SAQ Consulting for Houston, TX Merchants

Materdei Consulting, LLC is Houston’s leading provider of PCI compliance, certification, and consulting services, offering a complete lifecycle of solutions for helping merchants and service providers in Houston – and throughout Texas – in becoming PCI DSS compliant. Business is booming in the Lone Star State – and that’s everywhere – in Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and beyond, thus requiring tens of thousands of businesses to become PCI DSS compliant. Are you a merchant or service provider in the greater Houston areas in need of PCI compliance? Not sure where to start and are new to the entire Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards mandates? Need PCI policies and procedures, or just have general questions about PCI?

Whatever your needs are, contact Texas’ PCI compliance leaders today at Materdei Consulting, LLC. Visit us at pcipolicyportal.com to learn more, or send us an email at pci@pcipolicyportal.com.

Saving Houston, TX Business Thousands of Dollars with PCI Compliance

Houston is a dynamic town with a diverse economy, which means we’ve helped almost every type of merchant or service provider in H-Town, from gas stations to grocery stores, restaurants, data centers, telecom companies, and more. Our secret to success? We offer fixed-fee consulting services, high-quality documentation (our PCI Policy Packets have been used by thousands of businesses around the world since 2009), experienced, well-versed personnel, and much more. But more than anything, we understand PCI compliance better than almost anyone, and as fellow Texans, we’ll give you the Texas straight talk about what it takes to bec¬ome – and stay – PCI DSS compliant.

Fixed-Fee PCI DSS SAQ Assistance for Houston Businesses

Merchants, service providers, and other businesses in Houston seeking assistance with Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) completion can turn to Materdei Consulting, LLC. One of the real challenges with “self-assessing” is that is has become an increasingly difficult initiative to tackle on your own. Why? Because the actual SAQ requirements are quite complex, challenging to interpret, and operationally taxing to implement. And that’s if you happen to have a comprehensive understanding of the SQA requirement themselves.

From SAQ A to SAQ D, we offer consulting services consisting of expert guidance for helping Houston merchants and service providers successfully complete the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) requirements. From developing necessary PCI policies and procedures to implementing a wide variety of security and technical controls, we’ll walk you through every step of the way, helping you complete your SAQ the “right” way.

Expert Advice for PCI DSS SAQ Certification for Texas Businesses

Many businesses make the mistake that self-assessing for PCI compliance is an easy endeavor – it’s not – and it’s why you need an expert consultant, proven and trusted professionals, and that’s Materdei Consulting, LLC. We offer the following PCI DSS services and solutions for Houston, TX businesses seeking to become compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards, so visit pcipolicyportal.com to learn more today, or email us at pci@pcipolicyportal.com today:

PCI Scoping & Readiness Assessments: Thousands of merchants and service providers throughout Texas that are storing, processing and transmitting cardholder data must become PCI DSS compliant, that’s not up for debate. What businesses need to know is that performing a cost-effective and brief upfront exercise is highly recommended for ensuring you overall PCI efforts get off on the right track.

So where to start, with a PCI DSS scoping & readiness assessment, that’s where. It’s a proven process performed by Materdei Consulting, LLC that helps merchants and service providers assess and understand scoping boundaries, identify internal control gaps and deficiencies, acquire necessary security tools, put in place a workable plan-of-action for getting things done, and much more.

Being new to PCI DSS compliance can be confusing and frustrating, all the more reason for performing a much-needed scoping & readiness assessment. Contact us at pci@pcipolicyportal.com to learn more about our services for Houston, TX businesses. Spending a few extra dollars on the front-end ultimately saves you thousands of dollars in long-term costs.

PCI Policies and Procedures Authoring Services: What’s become one of the most exhausting and frustrating aspects of PCI compliance is actually a process that Materdei Consulting, LLC has perfected since 2009. Documentation is a time-consuming process – no question about it – and its why merchants and service providers in Texas turn to us in obtaining professionally developed PCI policies and procedures and other supporting templates for becoming compliant.

Do you really want to spend dozens of hour writing PCI polices and procedure – probably not – so download the very best documentation found today from the global PCI policy experts at pcipolicyportal.com. Filled with the very best and most current documentation, our PCI policies and procedures templates have been used by thousands of companies all around the globe. Need an access control policy template? How about a security awareness training program manual? Need to perform a risk assessment and looking for professionally developed forms and manuals for such an exercise? Our documentation is the answer, so visit pcipolicyportal.com to learn more.

Whatever business you’re in, we have the necessary forms and templates for helping Houston, TX businesses become compliant, so visit us today at pcipolicyportal.com.

Technical and Operational Remediation: Are your password parameters configured with strong complexity rules? Do you have File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) in place for recording any type of file activity begin made? How about your network device and servers; have they been provisioned, hardened and secured with industry leading standards? As you can see, technical and operational remediation is often a time-consuming process for many merchants and service providers seeking to become PCI DSS compliant.

Thankfully, we offer industry leading PCI policies, forms, checklists, and other supporting templates for helping merchants and service providers meet many of the technical and operational requirements mandated by PCI. Sure, you still have to roll up your sleeves and make configuration changes to systems, but our documentation goes a long way in reducing the time and effort for becoming PCI DSS compliant. It’s just another reason why so many businesses in Houston turn to us for much-needed PCI guidance.

Penetration Testing: Need comprehensive, fixed-fee penetration testing services, we offer such solutions also.

Assistance with Vendor Selection of Security Products: There’s literally hundreds of software and security vendors pushing products to merchants and service providers in the PCI community. While the vast majority of the tools are high-quality indeed, you’ll need to be aware of cost considerations and implementation challenges. What you need is a proven expert for helping navigate the rough waters of PCI vendors, and we can help.

Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) Help: The PCI DSS Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQ) – for which there are many – can be highly confusing for businesses, and it’s why we offer consulting services specific to PCI SAQ. Turn to the Houston, Texas PCI DSS experts today at Materdei Consulting, LLC.