Practical notes on PCI DSS, privacy law, security testing and audit, written by the team that does the work. Filter by topic, month or keyword.
AI in the payment environment: what the PCI SSC’s new AI guidance means for your scope
The PCI SSC published Security Considerations for AI Systems on 2026-09-15. AI is scoped like any other technology. Where chatbots, agents and shadow AI pull systems into PCI…
Read the insight →Phishing and ransomware: the PCI DSS 4.x controls that actually help
Ransomware is the top cybercrime threat to Canadian critical infrastructure and phishing remains a leading way in. Five PCI DSS 4.x requirements that reduce the risk for any…
Read the insight →You can’t lose what you don’t keep: reducing PCI scope by not storing card data
The most effective PCI DSS control is often the data you never hold. How hosted payment pages, tokenization and segmentation shrink your cardholder data environment, and the traps…
Read the insight →PCI DSS v4.0.1: what the limited revision changed and what it did not
PCI DSS v4.0.1 clarified wording but added no new requirements. Here is what changed, what stayed the same, and what Canadian organizations should update now.
Read the insight →Which PCI self-assessment questionnaire applies to you? A plain guide for small merchants
A plain-language guide to choosing the right PCI DSS Self-Assessment Questionnaire, including the 2025 changes to SAQ A for e-commerce merchants using embedded payment forms.
Read the insight →Multi-factor authentication for all access into the cardholder data environment: requirement 8.4.2 explained
Since 2025-03-31, PCI DSS requires MFA for all non-console access into the cardholder data environment, not only for administrators. Here is what that means in practice.
Read the insight →Targeted risk analysis under PCI DSS 4.x: what it is and how to write one
PCI DSS 4.x lets organizations set some control frequencies themselves if they justify them in a targeted risk analysis. Here is when you need one and how to…
Read the insight →Unattended payments: PCI and device security risks for parking, fuel, EV charging and kiosks
Fuel pumps, parking stations, EV chargers and kiosks face skimming, tampering and network risks. Here is what PCI PTS and PCI DSS require, and practical steps for operators.
Read the insight →The PCI SSC’s 2026 request for comments on PCI DSS: what it signals
The PCI SSC sought stakeholder feedback on PCI DSS v4.0.1 from 2026-06-03 to 2026-07-20. No new version was announced. Here is what the request for comments does and…
Read the insight →Webinars, conference talks and private sessions on PCI DSS, privacy law and cybersecurity, in English and French.
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