PCI DSS Compliance

What Is PCI DSS Compliance?

PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) is a global security standard required for any business that processes, transmits, or touches payment card data.

Even if you use PayPal, Stripe, or other third-party processors, your business is still responsible for maintaining a secure environment and completing the appropriate PCI Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ).

Failing to comply can result in:

  • Fines from payment processors

  • Increased transaction fees

  • Forced scans or audits

  • Loss of ability to process cards

NovaCore Systems helps businesses achieve real PCI compliance, not just checkboxes.

Our PCI Compliance Approach

We handle PCI compliance as a technical security engagement, not a form-only service.

What We Do

  • PCI scope review (hosted vs embedded payments)

  • Server & application security hardening

  • PCI vulnerability scan remediation

  • TLS / SSL validation

  • Secure hosting and firewall configuration

  • Guidance on the correct SAQ type

  • Ongoing compliance readiness support

Our focus is on ensuring your environment passes scans and stays secure.

Understanding SAQ-A (Hosted Payment Compliance)

SAQ-A applies to businesses that:

  • Fully outsource card processing to providers like PayPal or Stripe

  • Do not store, process, or transmit card data on their servers

  • Use secure redirects or embedded payment buttons

While SAQ-A significantly reduces scope, your website and hosting environment must still be secure.

Common SAQ-A mistakes include:

  • Insecure TLS configurations

  • Vulnerable WordPress or Magento installations

  • Exposed admin panels

  • Malware or outdated plugins/themes

Case Study: PCI Compliance for Asian Book One

Client Overview

Asian Book One is an e-commerce retailer specializing in the sale of specialty books online.
Payments are processed through PayPal, placing the business under SAQ-A requirements.

The Challenge

Although payments were outsourced, Asian Book One still needed to:

  • Validate a secure hosting environment

  • Pass PCI vulnerability scanning

  • Complete PCI attestation requirements

  • Ensure no cardholder data touches their servers

What NovaCore Systems Did

  1. PCI Scope Validation
    Confirmed eligibility for SAQ-A by validating payment flow and data handling.

  2. Security Hardening

    • Enforced strong TLS encryption

    • Reduced exposed services

    • Secured admin access

    • Verified no card data storage

  3. Vulnerability Scan Remediation
    Addressed scan findings and validated fixes through re-testing.

  4. PCI Scan & Attestation Support
    Ensured scans returned a passing status and supported SAQ-A completion.

The Results

✔ PCI vulnerability scan passed
✔ SAQ-A requirements satisfied
✔ Secure payment redirection confirmed
✔ Ongoing compliance readiness established

Asian Book One can now continue processing payments with confidence and compliance.