PCiPCI Assessments Center
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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Exam Tracks
AWARENESS · DEVELOPERS · +7
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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

Google Password Manager Attacks Could Let Malware Hijack Passkey-Protected Accounts

Malware running as an ordinary user on a Windows machine can sign into a victim's passkey-protected accounts without a fingerprint, a PIN, or anything at all appearing on the victim's screen. Unit 42 detailed three attack paths against Chr…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threattoday

INC Ransomware Emerges as Dominant Actor Exploiting SonicWall SMA 1000 Flaws

The INC Ransomware operation has emerged as the "dominant threat actor" exploiting the recently disclosed security flaws in SonicWall Secure Mobile Access (SMA) 1000 series VPN appliances. In a report published over the weekend, Resecurity…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threattoday

⚡ Weekly Recap: Rogue AI Models, $88M Bitcoin Theft, Water-System Attacks and Dangling DNS Hijacks

This week kept coming back to permission. A model crossed a boundary. A wallet trusted bad randomness. Webmail kept an intruder around. Public systems, package feeds, hotel networks, and login flows all gave away more than intended. Some o…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threattoday

FOMO in the SOC: Where AI Platforms like Claude Actually Fit

AI is moving incredibly fast, and every security leader is feeling the pressure to keep up. AI platforms like Claude, Codex and Cursor are already helping security teams write detections, investigate alerts, summarize incidents, and automa…

The Hacker NewsRead
Regulationtoday

Thermo Fisher Patches Flaw That Could Make DNA File Tampering Nearly Undetectable

Thermo Fisher Scientific has patched a flaw in select Applied Biosystems human identification software that could allow data files to be altered before analysis software loads them. The vendor's July 31 security bulletin says nearly undete…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threattoday

N-able Says Attackers Take Over N-central Servers After Initial Fix Proves Incomplete

N-able said attackers exploited an authentication bypass in N-central to gain remote administrative access and reach the customer systems managed through those servers. Its first fix was incomplete. CVE-2026-18577 affects N-central builds…

The Hacker NewsRead
Regulationtoday

Hugging Face Diffusers Flaws Could Let Model Repositories Execute Arbitrary Code

Three high-severity security flaws have been disclosed in Hugging Face's Diffusers library that could allow crafted model repositories to stealthily execute arbitrary code on machines that load it, opening the artificial intelligence (AI)…

The Hacker NewsRead
Breachtoday

Chinese Threat Actor Uses Leaked DarkSword Kit to Deploy GHOSTBLADE on iOS

An unknown Chinese-speaking threat actor has been observed running a campaign targeting Apple iOS devices by leveraging a publicly leaked version of the DarkSword exploit kit. Attack surface management platform Censys said it identified th…

The Hacker NewsRead
Breachtoday

PNLD Breach Exposes U.K. Police and Government Contact Details on Dark Web

The Police National Legal Database (PNLD) has confirmed that police, government and customer contact information was compromised and published on the dark web. The data included names, organisations and work email addresses belonging to po…

The Hacker NewsRead
Regulation2 days ago

Coldcard Hardware Wallet Flaw Linked to $70 Million Bitcoin Theft in 41 Minutes

An attacker drained 1,196 Bitcoin addresses in 41 minutes on July 30, taking 1,082.65 BTC worth about $70.2 million at the time. Galaxy Research mapped the sweep and tied it to a firmware flaw in Coldcard, the Bitcoin-only hardware wallet…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threat2 days ago

Hackers Poison Adform Script to Swap Crypto Wallet Addresses Across Customer Sites

Attackers modified a JavaScript file served by advertising technology company Adform, turning it into a browser-side tool that rewrites cryptocurrency wallet addresses. Adform detected the incident on July 27, 2026, removed the malicious c…

The Hacker NewsRead
Regulation2 days ago

Adobe Campaign Classic CVSS 10.0 Flaw Could Run Code Without User Interaction

Adobe has released security updates to address a maximum-severity security flaw in Campaign Classic (ACC), its enterprise-focused marketing automation platform, that could result in arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability, tracked as C…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threat2 days ago

Hijacked Hotel Wi-Fi Pushes Fake Updates to Deliver Surveillance Malware

A fake browser update served over hijacked hotel Wi-Fi has been used to deliver CornFlake, a remote access trojan (RAT) that can capture webcam images, microphone audio, and keystrokes, Microsoft said in its latest report. Researchers trac…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threat3 days ago

Suspected Chinese-Speaking Hackers Target Central Asian Governments With OctLurk and SilkLurk

A Chinese-speaking threat actor is suspected to be behind a fresh wave of cyber attacks targeting government organizations mainly located in Central Asia, including Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and the Syria…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threat3 days ago

HollowFrame Loader Deploys Matryoshka Backdoor in Spear-Phishing Attack on Law Firm

Cybersecurity researchers have shed light on a previously undocumented Go-based loader framework called HollowFrame and a Rust-based malware family tracked as Matryoshka. According to Blackpoint Cyber, the intrusion sequence begins with a…

The Hacker NewsRead
Regulation3 days ago

Three Recent Chrome Releases Fix 1,442 Flaws, More Than Prior 23 Updates Combined

Google on Thursday announced that it fixed a whopping 1,072 security bugs in Chrome versions 149 and 150, surpassing the total number of flaws the company fixed across the prior 23 milestones combined. Both versions were released last mont…

The Hacker NewsRead
Regulation3 days ago

Researchers Report 84 Flaws in 4G and 5G Cores, Including a Session Hijacking Flaw

An academic study has disclosed a "widespread class" of security vulnerabilities impacting 4G and 5G core networks that, if successfully exploited, could trigger denial-of-service (DoS) attacks and even session hijacking, allowing an attac…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threat3 days ago

6 Reasons Why Device Code Phishing is the Fastest-Growing Threat of 2026

Device code phishing - the abuse of the OAuth 2.0 device authorization grant to steal access tokens - has evolved from a niche red-team technique to an industrial-scale threat in under six months. Designed for input-constrained devices lik…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threat3 days ago

Chinese Hacker Commands DeepSeek via Telegram to Launch Autonomous Attacks

Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42 says a Chinese-speaking threat actor used DeepSeek through the open-source Hermes Agent framework to launch attacks autonomously. After an initial Telegram instruction, the agent found internet-facing systems an…

The Hacker NewsRead
Breach3 days ago

Anthropic Says Claude Mistook the Open Internet for a CTF and Breached Three Organizations

Anthropic on Thursday became the latest artificial intelligence (AI) company to reveal that three of its models, including Claude Opus 4.7, Mythos 5, and an unnamed research model, had breached three unnamed organizations during cybersecur…

The Hacker NewsRead
Threat3 days ago

Cheap Android TV Boxes Pose as Phones and Turn Owners’ Broadband Into Proxies

Bitsight says some cheap Android TV boxes have shipped with apps that rewrite their hardware identity to mimic Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, or Vivo phones, then click ads on websites run by the same operators. Researchers named the operation F…

The Hacker NewsRead
Breach4 days ago

Read This Before You Buy That TV Streaming Stick

Security experts have been sounding the alarm for years about the risks of using generic TV boxes that promise unlimited content streaming for a one-time fee, warning that they secretly rent the user's Internet connection out to strangers.…

Krebs on SecurityRead
Threat4 days ago

DPRK-Linked macOS Malvertising Uses Fake Updates to Deliver Crypto-Stealing Malware

Threat actors with ties to North Korea have been attributed to a sophisticated macOS malvertising campaign that involves redirecting users to fake web pages displaying a full-screen non-existent update sequence to deliver malware as part o…

The Hacker NewsRead
Regulation4 days ago

ThreatsDay: AI-Powered Hacking, 370 Chrome Flaws, SonicWall Attacks, DNS Hijacking + 22 More Stories

A lot of security still comes down to trusting the wrong screen. This week, that screen might be a login page, an install guide, a recruiter call, or a familiar service behaving slightly wrong. Behind it: reused credentials, exposed system…

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.