PAYMENT SECURITY
Prepare for PCI DSS with a clear view of scope, gaps and evidence
A readiness assessment helps payment and technology teams understand what is in scope, where controls or evidence are weak and what should be addressed before the applicable PCI DSS validation process.
Who this is for
- Payment processors, gateways and service providers
- FinTech and payment orchestration platforms
- E-commerce merchants
- Organizations changing payment architecture or service providers
- Teams preparing for a first or renewed PCI DSS validation activity
What we review
- Cardholder Data Environment (CDE) and scope boundaries
- Account-data flows and payment architecture
- System components and connected systems
- Network segmentation and security zones
- Identity, authentication and access controls
- Secure configuration and vulnerability management
- Logging, monitoring and alerting
- Security policies and operational procedures
- Incident-response readiness
- Third-party dependencies and service providers
- Risk assessments and targeted risk-analysis inputs where applicable
- Security-testing processes and evidence readiness
Our readiness process
- 01
Scope discovery
Map payment flows, systems, technologies, parties and locations potentially relevant to the CDE.
- 02
Data-flow review
Understand how payment account data enters, moves through and leaves the environment.
- 03
Gap assessment
Compare current controls and processes with applicable PCI DSS requirements.
- 04
Evidence review
Review policies, configurations, reports, records and other evidence available to support controls.
- 05
Findings
Identify missing controls, weak controls, scope uncertainty and evidence gaps.
- 06
Remediation roadmap
Prioritize actions based on risk, dependency and validation impact.
- 07
Reassessment
Optionally review remediated items before the organization enters its formal validation process.
Deliverables
- Scope and assumptions summary
- CDE/data-flow observations
- Requirement-level gap register
- Evidence-readiness observations
- Prioritized remediation roadmap
- Executive summary for management
- Optional remediation follow-up review
What this service is — and is not
This service is intended to help organizations prepare. It can identify readiness gaps, improve scope clarity and organize remediation. It does not replace a formal QSA assessment where a formal QSA assessment is required.
Frequently asked questions
Are you a QSA?
Not currently. Anabel Group is not listed as a PCI SSC Qualified Security Assessor Company. Our PCI DSS services are readiness and advisory services until qualification.
Will this make us PCI DSS compliant?
No. A readiness assessment identifies scope, control and evidence gaps and helps you plan remediation. It is not a compliance determination and does not replace a formal QSA assessment where one is required.
Do you issue a ROC or an AOC?
No. Anabel Group does not issue or validate a Report on Compliance or an Attestation of Compliance.
What if our CDE is not documented yet?
That is a common starting point. Scope discovery and the data-flow review are designed to map payment flows, systems, technologies, parties and locations that may be relevant to the CDE.
Can you re-check items after we remediate?
Yes, optionally. Remediated items can be reviewed before the organization enters its formal validation process.
How do we start?
Either request a readiness assessment, or use the PCI DSS Readiness Check for a short set of scoping questions that show where clarification or evidence preparation may be needed.
Discuss the scope of your assessment
Tell us what you need to assess, your target timeline and the environment involved. We will review the scope and identify the appropriate next step.
Page last reviewed 6 September 2026