Privacy & Security → Compliance → PCI DSS
PCI DSS Compliance
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) applies to any organization that stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data. AIQA helps you meet PCI DSS requirements with clear controls, practical implementation, and confident audit readiness.
What It Is
Payment Security With Real Consequences
PCI DSS is administered by the PCI Security Standards Council and enforced by the major card brands — Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and JCB. It establishes 12 core requirements covering network security, access controls, encryption, monitoring, and policy management for any environment that touches cardholder data.
Non-compliance can result in fines ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 per month, increased transaction fees, mandatory forensic audits, and ultimately the loss of the ability to accept card payments. For most organizations, that last consequence makes PCI DSS a business-critical obligation.
Who It Applies To
Any merchant, payment processor, service provider, or financial institution that stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data. This includes organizations that outsource payment processing — if you interact with cardholder data at any point, PCI DSS applies to you.
Quick Facts
- ▸ Administered by PCI Security Standards Council
- ▸ Current version PCI DSS v4.0
- ▸ Requirements 12 core requirements, 251+ sub-requirements
- ▸ Validation Annual assessment or quarterly scans (by merchant level)
- ▸ Enforcement Card brands and acquiring banks
The Framework
The 12 Core PCI DSS Requirements
Install and maintain network security controls
Apply secure configurations to all system components
Protect stored account data
Protect cardholder data with strong cryptography during transmission
Protect all systems and networks from malicious software
Develop and maintain secure systems and software
Restrict access to system components and cardholder data by business need to know
Identify users and authenticate access to system components
Restrict physical access to cardholder data
Log and monitor all access to system components and cardholder data
Test security of systems and networks regularly
Support information security with organizational policies and programs
How AIQA Helps
From Gap to Compliant — With Clarity at Every Step
Assessment
We review your current environment against PCI DSS requirements, identify gaps, and prioritize remediation based on risk and business impact.
Implementation
We implement technical and administrative controls — network segmentation, encryption, access governance, logging, and policy documentation — aligned to your specific merchant level and cardholder data environment.
Audit Readiness
We prepare your documentation, evidence packages, and internal processes so that your annual assessment or SAQ submission is straightforward and defensible.
Common Challenges
Where Organizations Struggle
Scope Definition
Many organizations over-scope their cardholder data environment, making compliance unnecessarily expensive. We help you define scope accurately — reducing the burden without creating risk.
Third-Party Risk
PCI DSS obligations extend to vendors and service providers. We help you build a vendor assessment program that keeps your supply chain compliant.
Evidence Collection
Assessment evidence is often scattered, inconsistent, or incomplete. We build structured evidence collection processes that make annual assessments predictable.
Sustaining Compliance
PCI DSS is not a one-time project. We build monitoring, alerting, and review cadences that keep you compliant between assessments.
Other Compliance Frameworks
Start With a Complimentary Security Consultation
Get a complimentary 30–60 minute consultation. We will review your current PCI DSS posture, identify gaps, and outline a clear path to compliance. No commitment required.
30–60 minutes. No cost. No commitment.