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PCI Assessments Center

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Kaitiaki, AI PCI ISA

Meet Kaitiaki — your Internal Security Assessor

Grounded in the PCI SSC library for PCI DSS v4.0.1 — ask about scoping, SAQ eligibility, evidence or your own gaps.

Your PCI assessment workspace.

Determine the right SAQ, complete it online against PCI DSS v4.0.1, and prepare your teams for PCIP and QSA — in one guided workspace.

10 official SAQs · PCI SSC-aligned · Free forever
PCI Assessments
Content Card · Platinum
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Questions
189 domains
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SAQs
v4.0.1 aligned
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across 11 SAQs
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Exam Tracks
AWARENESS · DEVELOPERS · +7
Valid Thru
PCI DSS · v4.0.1
Issued By
Haumaru Whānau · QSA
10 official SAQs
All PCI DSS v4.0.1 SAQs supported verbatim.
Verified email signup
Email code verification with disposable-domain blocking.
RLS-protected data
Every assessment isolated by tenant and role.
QSA-authored content
Built by Haumaru Whānau PCI QSA professionals.
Independent practice
Preparation for official PCIP and QSA exams.
Free self-assessment
Determine, attest and complete at no cost.
Threat watch

Why compliance posture matters

Live payment-security signals curated from public industry sources. Refreshed every few hours — nothing here is a PCI Assessments Center incident.

Threattoday

CISA Confirms Active Exploitation of Two PHP2Shell Flaws Enabling Remote Code Execution

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Monday confirmed active exploitation of the recently patched PHP2Shell flaws by adding them to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. The PHP vulnerabilities,…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threat1 day ago

Between alerts: What Attackers Do in the Spaces Ordinary Detection Misses

Every SOC struggles with a pile of alerts. Very few of those alerts explain how an attack started or how it progressed. Network data, like that from a network detection and response (NDR) platform, connects individual alerts into one timel…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threat1 day ago

uCreator Android Spyware Can Steal Telegram 2FA Passwords and Clone WeChat Accounts

A rentable Android spyware kit called uCreator takes over Telegram and WeChat accounts by hiding its code inside working copies of the two apps, researcher Ovi found. It only reaches people who install one of these tampered copies, spread…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threat1 day ago

Microsoft 365 Token-Replay Attacks Compromise 97 Accounts at 79 Organizations

Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed a Microsoft 365 campaign that has been observed leveraging an adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) relay to capture sign-in sessions and then replay the stolen tokens to break into email accounts at 79 or…

The Hacker NewsRead
Breach1 day ago

Gheist Uses Stolen GitHub Tokens to Steal Private Repository Secrets via Actions Logs

An automated campaign is using stolen GitHub tokens to plant workflows that print a repository's secrets into its GitHub Actions logs, which the attackers then download before deleting the runs. The attacks have succeeded in private reposi…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threat1 day ago

Malicious File in Downloads Folder Tries to Trick AI Coding Agent Into Installing Malware

A malicious instruction file sitting in a developer's Downloads folder tried to make their AI coding agent install a known-malicious npm package, security firm Forever Security said in a report published last week. The company caught the a…

The Hacker NewsRead
Regulation1 day ago

PHP Issues Second Windows Security Update in Five Days to Fix Brotli Code Execution Flaw

PHP has rebuilt its official Windows packages for PHP 8.2 through 8.5 to fix CVE-2026-111497, a flaw in the Brotli compression library that the packages include. The flaw can let an attacker corrupt memory and potentially run code. PHP say…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threat1 day ago

Attackers Use Microsoft Teams IT Support Scams to Deploy Malware and Ransomware

Cybersecurity researchers are calling attention to what they say is a "recurring social engineering pattern" across hundreds of cases in which threat actors use Microsoft Teams' external chat creation feature to conduct impersonation scams…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threat1 day ago

⚡ Weekly Recap: This2Shell, That2Shell, Everything's an RCE? Rogue AI, Supply Chain Chaos and More

This2Shell, That2Shell, Everything2Shell. That's pretty much how the last week went. Critical bugs that let attackers run code remotely are showing up everywhere. Hackers are scanning for targets, some flaws are already being used in attac…

The Hacker NewsRead
Regulation1 day ago

Two Critical Wasmtime Flaws Could Let Malicious WebAssembly Modules Escape Sandboxes

Two critical flaws in Wasmtime, a WebAssembly runtime that can be built into other software, could allow a malicious WebAssembly module to escape the sandbox intended to contain it, the project's maintainers say. An attacker would first ne…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threat1 day ago

Hackers Infect 953 Online Stores With Scanner-Evading JavaScript, Mostly on Magento

An unknown threat actor has infected 953 online stores, most of them running Magento, as part of a long-running campaign active since July 2025. According to Dutch e-commerce security company Sansec, the activity is designed to add a small…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threat2 days ago

OpenAI AI Agents Demonstrate VM Escapes and Secret Cross-Sandbox Communication

OpenAI has announced plans to conduct frontier model training with no live internet access, as it resumes reinforcement learning (RL) training and internal inference of its most advanced AI models. "Based on the current state of alignment…

The Hacker NewsRead
Regulation2 days ago

Unpatched Tailscale SSH Flaws Could Let a Hacked Device Reach Root on Other Servers

A single hacked device on a Tailscale network can be used to gain root access to other servers it can reach, according to a security researcher who published the findings this week. The attack requires two things: Tailscale SSH set up to a…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threat2 days ago

PHP2Shell Exploitation Attempts Continue Amid Suspected N. Korea Global Scanning Activity

In an update, Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 said it's retracting its earlier assessment that the post-compromise activity targeting the European government agency involved the exploitation of the PHP2Shell flaws. "What researchers saw was an…

The Hacker NewsRead
Regulation3 days ago

Brotli Decoder Flaw Behind Node.js RCE Also Affects Bun, Python and Other Widely Used Software

A memory-corruption flaw in Google's Brotli decoder sits in many programs that unpack Brotli-compressed data, among them Bun, Microsoft's .NET, the Python Brotli and brotlicffi packages, and Envoy proxies set up to decompress Brotli. Track…

The Hacker NewsRead
Breach3 days ago

Leaked LiteLLM Master Key Let Attackers Steal GitHub Tokens and Hijack Release Pipeline

LiteLLM on Friday revealed that an Agent Platform master key accidentally published to a public GitHub repository in late May 2026 ultimately allowed the threat actor to push a malicious version of the popular Python package. "On May 27, 2…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threat3 days ago

Google Says Gmail and Photos Data Shared With AI Search Could Be Used for Targeted Ads

Google has updated its privacy policy to spell out that using personalized artificial intelligence (AI) features in Search or Gemini could allow the company to serve targeted ads to users based on their activity on other connected Google s…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threat3 days ago

Researchers Push Over 2 Million Updates to Remotely Disable Popcorn Time Updater That Could Fuel a Botnet

Between November 2025 and March 2026, the Dutch security firm Eye Security pushed more than 2 million updates to computers it did not own to switch off a background updater that it said could have allowed an outsider to take over the machi…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threat3 days ago

CISA Flags Two Actively Exploited Critical Flaws in Collabora Online and Arista VeloCloud

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Friday added two vulnerabilities impacting Collabora Online Built-in CODE Server and Arista VeloCloud Orchestrator (VCO) to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV), citi…

The Hacker NewsRead
Breach4 days ago

Hackers Breach Enterprise Firewalls and VPNs, Exposing Over 70,000 Credentials

Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of a large-scale campaign that has targeted exposed network edge devices such as Fortinet FortiGate and Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect firewalls. "Artifacts from this investigation also in…

The Hacker NewsRead
Regulation4 days ago

Critical x402 SDK Flaw Could Let Malicious APIs Drain AI Agents’ Token Balances

AI agents paying for API calls with the x402 SDKs could sign a payment for their full balance of a supported token if a malicious API asked for it, security firm V12 said on October 22. The cause was the SDKs' default client, which set no…

The Hacker NewsRead
Regulation4 days ago

Ruby Fixes Three Regex Engine Bugs Responsible for Four Critical GitLab RCE Flaws

Ruby has released versions 4.0.9, 3.4.12, and 3.3.13 to fix three bugs in Onigmo, the regular expression engine built into the language. The bugs lie behind four critical security flaws that GitLab patched over the past month. GitLab found…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threat4 days ago

PHP2Shell Exploit Attempts Hit Millions as Attackers Try to Deploy Mirai Malware

Threat actors have been observed unsuccessfully attempting to exploit the newly disclosed PHP2Shell vulnerabilities to rope infected systems into a Mirai botnet variant called Potassium, as it emerges that weaponizing the flaws may be hard…

The Hacker NewsRead
Breach4 days ago

Exposed Infrastructure Reveals How Ransomware Affiliates Used AI Agents to Execute Intrusions

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven intrusion ecosystem run by affiliates of the INC and The Gentlemen ransomware groups. Central to the operation is an "Autonomous Red Team Kill Chain Framework…

The Hacker NewsRead
The path

From "which SAQ?" to "we're ready"

Every step is grounded in the PCI SSC v4.0.1 SAQ Instructions and Guidelines. No guesswork, no smaller SAQ than your scope allows.

1
Determine

Find the right assessment for your organisation.

2
Attest

Confirm official SAQ eligibility criteria.

3
Complete

Answer the correct SAQ with QSA guidance.

4
Plan with your AI PCI ISA

Turn every gap into a remediation plan and a scored risk register — free.

5
Validate

Review results online or engage a QSA to sign.

6
Train

Prepare your team for PCI certification exams with QSA-authored practice materials.

PCI DSS v4.0.1

What changed — and what you must plan for

Selected requirements the platform highlights during your assessment. Click through the deck or wait for it to rotate.

In effectReq 8.4

MFA for all access into the CDE

Multi-factor authentication is now required for all access into the Cardholder Data Environment, not just administrative access.

Offerings

Three doors, one path

Start free with a self-assessment or training. Bring in a QSA when the payment brand or acquirer asks for a signature.

Assessment
Self-Assessment

Structured PCI DSS eligibility check covering all 10 official PCI DSS v4.0.1 SAQs. Results are available online in your workspace.

  • Fail-closed eligibility mirrors PCI SSC decision tree
  • Verbatim controls with expected testing
  • Online results — no downloads
  • Per-tenant secure storage
Create a free account
Courses
PCIP & QSA readiness

Course tracks for PCIP and PCI QSA — lessons, quizzes, and readiness checklists, authored by practising QSAs.

  • PCIP fundamentals course
  • PCI QSA readiness course
  • QSA-authored lessons
  • Free for every organisation
  • Independent practice material — not official PCI SSC exams
Explore courses
QSA Services
Formal SAQ, AoC & ROC

When you need a signed SAQ, an Attestation of Compliance, or a Report on Compliance, a Haumaru Whānau QSA takes it from here.

  • Formal SAQ + Attestation of Compliance
  • ROC readiness & QSA-assisted assessments
  • Remediation sprints
  • Annual QSA retainer
Explore QSA services
Who it's for

Built for every side of PCI

FAQ

Frequently asked

Is the platform really free?+

Yes. Self-assessments and every training module on PCI Assessments Center are free. There is no credit card, trial or paywall. Only formal QSA engagements — signed SAQ, Attestation of Compliance, ROC readiness, remediation, and retainers — are paid, and they are quoted individually.

Do I need to create an account?+

Yes. A free account is required so your self-assessments and responses stay tied to your organisation. Each account belongs to a tenant, and row-level security ensures only members of your organisation can read your data.

Which SAQs are supported?+

All 10 official PCI DSS v4.0.1 SAQs: A, A-EP, B, B-IP, C, C-VT, D-Merchant, D for Service Providers, P2PE, and SPoC. The guided selector uses the PCI SSC v4.0.1 SAQ Instructions to determine which SAQ applies to your environment, and requires you to attest the official eligibility criteria before you start.

How does PCI Assessments Center choose the right SAQ for me?+

A fail-closed decision engine walks you through the PCI SSC v4.0.1 SAQ Instructions and Guidelines. Every question and eligibility check cites its source. If any short-form SAQ criterion is not met, the engine routes you to SAQ D or to a QSA — never a smaller SAQ than your scope allows.

What do I get at the end of a self-assessment?+

A structured online result in your workspace: the correct SAQ for your scope, your eligibility attestation, the full selection rationale with citations, and your recorded responses. Results are online-only — there are no downloadable PDFs.

Why can't I download a PDF of my SAQ or AoC?+

A downloadable SAQ or Attestation of Compliance implies formal validation. To keep that distinction clear, PCI Assessments Center only shows self-assessment results online. When you need a signed SAQ or AoC, request a formal engagement from QSA Services and a Haumaru Whānau QSA will issue it.

Can PCI Assessments Center replace a formal QSA engagement?+

No. Self-assessments here are for readiness, scoping, and internal use. If your acquirer, payment brand, or a contract requires a signed SAQ, Attestation of Compliance, or Report on Compliance, request a formal engagement on the QSA Services page.

When do I need a QSA instead of a self-assessment?+

You need a QSA if you are a PCI DSS Level 1 merchant or service provider, if your acquirer or brand mandates a Report on Compliance, if you have been designated for Designated Entities Supplemental Validation, or if you have had a recent card data breach. The guided selector flags these cases and routes you to QSA Services.

How much do formal QSA engagements cost?+

Every engagement is scoped and quoted individually — complexity, environment size, evidence maturity, and geography all affect effort. Submit a request from QSA Services; a QSA will schedule a scoping call and follow up with a written quote.

How secure is my data?+

Every table uses per-tenant row-level security, so only members of your organisation can read or write your data. Authentication runs on managed cloud infrastructure with sessions scoped per tenant.

Who is behind PCI Assessments Center?+

Haumaru Whānau, a certified PCI QSA Company. Self-assessments and training remain free; formal QSA services are delivered by Haumaru Whānau QSAs and quoted separately.

Are the PCIP and QSA exams official PCI SSC exams?+

No. The PCIP-style and QSA-style exams on PCI Assessments Center are independent practice and preparation exams created by Haumaru Whānau QSAs. They are not endorsed by, affiliated with, or a substitute for the official PCI Security Standards Council PCIP or QSA qualification exams.