I’ve heard so many variations on what it means to fill out the self-assessment questionnaire (SAQ) that I wanted to provide some clarification. First off, filling out the SAQ (regardless of which type) does NOT make you PCI compliant. You check boxes on the SAQ and that actually means something. It means that you are attesting to the fact that you are doing the necessary things to be in line with the PCI DSS, and can prove it when asked.
Many people think that simply because they only have a certain number of questions to answer, that only those items of the standard apply to them. The bottom line is this – every merchant that accepts credit cards is required to be compliant with the PCI DSS. The entire standard. For those of you that have fewer than 201 questions on your SAQ, you still must be compliant with the entire standard.
The Standards apply to all organizations that store, process, or transmit credit card data. If you’re unsure whether or not you are compliant, call us here at HALOCK Security Labs and ask for some help – that’s why we’re here!