Written by Tim Deakin

17th June 2025

• PCI DSS

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If your organisation is handling card payments, PCI compliance isn’t optional; it’s essential. Yet for many businesses, especially those without a mature risk management strategy and compliance background, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) can feel overwhelming.

There is good news though. You don’t have to tackle everything at once. Instead, you should break the process down into manageable steps so that you can move towards compliance with confidence.

Here are a few pointers to help you keep calm and carry on towards compliance without stress or headaches.

Start simple and trust the process

The purpose of PCI DSS is to protect cardholder data and reduce the risk of card fraud. Whether you process payments online, in person, or over the phone, these security standards require you to:

• Build and maintain secure systems and networks
• Protect cardholder data
• Manage vulnerabilities
• Control access
• Monitor and test networks
• Maintain an information security policy

Map cardholder data flows

In order to secure cardholder data, your organisation needs to know where it is stored and how that data might be accessed and utilised within your organisation. Take the time to consider:

• Where card data enters company systems
• Where it is stored
• Who has access to it
• Where it goes after processing

By mapping data flow, you can identify potential risk areas and determine the scope of compliance efforts.

Determine your PCI compliance level

Not all businesses are subject to the same requirements. Compliance levels depend on the number of annual card transactions processed by your organisation. This figure will dictate which of two routes you are required to take to demonstrate compliance:

• Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ)

A self-validation method suited to small organisations with a limited number of annual transactions.

• Report on Compliance (RoC)

A formal audit carried out by a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA), typically required for larger businesses processing over 6 million transactions each year.

Conduct a gap analysis and build a remediation plan

Once you have established your compliance level and mapped data, the next step is to complete a gap analysis. This requires you to assess your current practices against PCI DSS requirements to identify areas that need to be plugged.

At this stage it’s time to create a remediation plan – a clear roadmap for fixing issues. This may include the implementation of new security controls, updating policies or adjusting how you handle card data. It’s important to prioritise high-risk gaps first and work towards smaller issues later. 

Don’t work in isolation

PCI compliance can be complex. If you’re unsure where to start or how to develop a strategy for working towards compliance, a PCI DSS consultant can help you to define the scope of your assessment, support with your gap analysis, develop and implement remediation work, prepare for audit or SAQ submission.

Find out more about how SRM can help you work through your next PCI compliance audit by clicking here or call us today on 03450 212151.