Green Shield · Governance

PCI DSS Compliance Readiness

Protect payment card data and pass your PCI DSS assessment with less effort. We help you shrink the scope, close the gaps and prepare the evidence for your Qualified Security Assessor or self-assessment.

What PCI DSS Is

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) applies to every organization that stores, processes or transmits payment card data, or that can affect its security. It is maintained by the PCI Security Standards Council, and version 4 is the current standard.

PCI DSS covers network security, protection of card data, vulnerability management, access control, monitoring and testing, and security policy. The single biggest lever is scope: the fewer systems touch card data, the smaller and cheaper compliance becomes.

Who Needs This

  • Merchants and e-commerce businesses accepting card payments.
  • Payment service providers, fintechs and processors.
  • Service providers whose systems can affect the security of card data.
  • Organizations asked by their acquiring bank to prove PCI DSS compliance.

Our Methodology

Every engagement follows the Cyber Shields rhythm: Assess, Protect, Monitor. For this engagement, that translates into the following steps.

  1. Scoping and data flow. Under a signed Non-Disclosure Agreement, we map where card data enters, flows and is stored, and look for ways to reduce scope.
  2. Gap assessment. Each applicable PCI DSS requirement is assessed with evidence.
  3. Remediation support. A prioritized plan, with help on segmentation, policies and processes.
  4. Testing. Vulnerability scanning and penetration testing as PCI DSS requires, agreed in scope.
  5. Assessment readiness. We prepare your evidence for the Qualified Security Assessor or your self-assessment questionnaire.

What You Receive

  • Card data flow diagram and scope definition.
  • Gap assessment against PCI DSS v4.
  • Prioritized remediation plan.
  • Test reports for the required scanning and penetration testing.
  • Readout session with your team, in Arabic and English.

Standards & References

Findings are anchored to recognized frameworks so they are defensible and cross-mappable.

  • PCI DSS v4
  • SAMA CSF
  • NCA ECC

Official Sources and References

The documents behind this page, linked at the publisher. Where a Saudi regulation is published in both languages, the Arabic text is the binding version.

Engagement & Investment

Every engagement is scoped individually. Pricing depends on the size and complexity of your environment, the systems or controls in scope, and the timeline you need to work to. Rather than publish figures that rarely fit a specific situation, we prepare a written proposal with a clear fee and schedule once your scope is understood.

Tell us about your organization and the deadline you are working toward, and we will return a tailored proposal within five business days, following a signed Non-Disclosure Agreement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you a Qualified Security Assessor?

No. Formal PCI DSS assessments are carried out by Qualified Security Assessors. We prepare you so that the assessment, or your self-assessment, goes smoothly.

Can scope really be reduced?

Often, yes. Tokenization, hosted payment pages and network segmentation can remove many systems from scope.

Does SAMA require PCI DSS?

Card payments are governed by the card schemes and your acquiring bank, and PCI DSS sits alongside SAMA's own requirements for regulated entities. We map both where relevant.

Will the report be available in Arabic?

Yes. Reports, the executive summary, and the readout session are available in both Arabic and English at no additional cost.

Related Services

Often Engaged Alongside

Web Application Testing

Manual and tool-assisted testing of web applications against the OWASP testing methodology, covering authentication, access control, injection, and business logic.

Learn more

SAMA CSF

Compliance programmes against the SAMA Cyber Security Framework for entities regulated by the Saudi Central Bank.

Learn more

Vulnerability Assessment

Authenticated and unauthenticated scanning across your estate, ranked by exploitability and impact.

Learn more
From the blog

Related Articles

PCI DSS

PCI DSS v4.0.1 for Saudi Merchants: A Practical Guide

How card data flow sets your scope, what version 4 changed, and eight steps for merchants.

Read the article

Request a Proposal for PCI DSS Readiness

Tell us how you take payments and we will return a written proposal within five business days. NDA first, always.