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How to Define Your Cardholder Data Environment (CDE) Under PCI DSS
by Patrick Hughes on June 28, 2026 at 1:30 PM
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Before an organization can implement Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) controls, it must answer a foundational question: what is in scope? The answer lies in the definition of the Cardholder Data Environment (CDE). Get it wrong, and everything built on top of it i …
Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M): A CMMC Level 2 Essential
by Jake Dwares on June 27, 2026 at 11:00 AM
Every CMMC Level 2 compliance program involves two documents that work in tandem: the System Security Plan (SSP) and the Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M). The SSP describes how practices are implemented. The POA&M documents what is not yet implemented and what the organiz …
Your CMMC SSP Is Not Just a Checkbox: How to Build One That Works
by Derek Boczenowski on June 26, 2026 at 1:24 PM
The System Security Plan (SSP) is the cornerstone document of any CMMC Level 2 compliance program. Yet it is also one of the most underdeveloped artifacts assessors encounter. Organizations preparing for a C3PAO assessment frequently arrive with an SSP that describes their environment …
When to Hire a PCI Compliance Consultant (and What They Actually Do)
by Patrick Hughes on June 25, 2026 at 4:17 PM
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If your business stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data, PCI DSS compliance isn't optional. But knowing that you need to comply is a very different thing from knowing how to actually get there. Somewhere between your first self-assessment questionnaire and your first failed s …
PCI DSS Compensating Controls: When & How to Use Them
by Kelly O’Brien on June 17, 2026 at 4:42 PM
Every organization that stores, processes, or transmits payment card data eventually runs into the same wall. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) sets a clear bar, but a legacy system, a vendor limitation, or a business reality can make a specific requirement im …
What the 2026 Verizon DBIR Means for Your SOC 2 Compliance Program
by Rachel Hughes on June 10, 2026 at 3:55 PM
The 2026 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) recently dropped. Vulnerability exploitation is officially the #1 breach vector at 31%. It is now the #1 way attackers are getting in, surpassing credential abuse, which dropped from 22% down to just 13% as an initial access me …
Subservice Organizations in SOC Reports: Carve-Out vs. Inclusive Method
by Rachel Hughes on June 9, 2026 at 4:33 PM
When a service organization relies on another vendor to perform part of its service, that vendor relationship doesn’t disappear from the SOC audit. Think of a payroll processor using a third-party data center, for example, or a SaaS company built on a major cloud infrastructure provid …
CMMC Scoping Guide: How to Define Your Level 2 Assessment Boundary
by Derek Boczenowski on June 5, 2026 at 11:30 AM
One of the most consequential (and most misunderstood) steps in preparing for CMMC compliance is defining the scope of your assessment boundary. Scope too broadly and you’re burdening your organization with unnecessary controls and cost. Scope too narrowly and you risk leaving Control …