Payment Card Data Security for Houston SMBs and E-Commerce

PCI-DSS Compliance

If your Houston business accepts credit cards — online, in-store, or over the phone — you are contractually required to comply with PCI-DSS, and the fines for getting it wrong start at $5,000 per month. LayerLogix delivers practical PCI-DSS v4.0 compliance for small and mid-sized merchants: merchant level determination, SAQ selection, cardholder data discovery, network segmentation, tokenization design, quarterly ASV vulnerability scans, and full SAQ and Attestation of Compliance support. We shrink your PCI scope aggressively so compliance becomes maintainable — not a year-round fire drill.

Start PCI-DSS Assessment 888.792.8080

SOC 2 Compliant

24/7 Support

30+ Years Experience

What We Offer

Comprehensive solutions tailored for Houston-area businesses

Merchant Level and SAQ Selection

Determine your PCI merchant level based on transaction volume and identify the correct Self-Assessment Questionnaire — SAQ A, A-EP, B, B-IP, C, C-VT, D, or P2PE. The wrong SAQ can mean answering hundreds of unnecessary questions or missing controls you are contractually required to implement.

Cardholder Data Environment Design

Design and document the Cardholder Data Environment (CDE) — every system that stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data, plus connected systems. We use tokenization, P2PE, and network segmentation to keep the CDE as small as possible and dramatically shrink your PCI scope.

Network Segmentation and Firewall Hardening

Isolate the CDE from your corporate network with firewalls, VLANs, and strict inbound/outbound rules. Proper segmentation is the single biggest lever for reducing PCI scope and audit burden. We validate segmentation with penetration testing as required under PCI-DSS v4.0.

Encryption and Key Management

Implement strong cryptography for cardholder data at rest and in transit — TLS 1.2+, AES-256, and documented key management procedures. We help you eliminate stored cardholder data wherever possible through tokenization and hosted payment pages, removing encryption requirements from most of your environment.

Quarterly ASV Vulnerability Scans

Coordinate quarterly external vulnerability scans with an Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV) against all internet-facing CDE systems. We remediate findings, handle false positive dispute letters, and ensure you maintain passing scans across the entire compliance year.

SAQ Completion and Attestation of Compliance

Walk through every requirement in your SAQ, collect evidence, document compensating controls where needed, and complete the Attestation of Compliance (AOC) that your acquiring bank and card brands require. We keep you audit-defensible, not just questionnaire-answered.

Why Choose LayerLogix?

Serving businesses throughout the Greater Houston area including Houston, The Woodlands, Spring, Katy, Sugar Land, Conroe, Pearland, Dallas, Austin.

Avoid Fines and Contract Termination

Non-compliance with PCI-DSS can trigger fines from $5,000 to $100,000 per month from your acquiring bank, higher transaction fees, and loss of card processing privileges entirely. For retailers and e-commerce sites, losing the ability to accept cards is an extinction-level event.

Reduce Breach Liability

A payment card breach triggers mandatory forensic investigation, card reissuance costs, brand fines, and class-action lawsuits that routinely run into the millions. Implementing PCI-DSS controls properly is the best breach prevention strategy and the strongest legal defense if an incident does occur.

Minimize PCI Scope with Tokenization

Every system touching raw cardholder data is in scope for all 12 PCI-DSS requirements. By routing payments through a tokenization provider or P2PE solution, we eliminate most systems from scope entirely — reducing audit cost, ongoing maintenance, and breach blast radius.

Pass Quarterly Scans Without Fire Drills

Our patching and hardening programs keep CDE systems clean between quarterly ASV scans so you are not scrambling at the last minute. We track vulnerability trends, apply patches on predictable cadences, and resolve findings before they become compliance failures.

Prepare for PCI-DSS v4.0 Requirements

PCI-DSS v4.0 introduced new requirements around targeted risk analysis, customized approaches, and stronger authentication that take effect in 2025. We upgrade your program ahead of the deadlines so you are not caught off-guard at your next assessment.

Our Process

Merchant level determination and SAQ selection based on transaction volume

Cardholder data discovery — where card data is stored, processed, or transmitted

CDE scoping and segmentation design — shrink the environment through tokenization and VLANs

Gap assessment against all 12 PCI-DSS requirements and v4.0 updates

Technical remediation — firewalls, encryption, access control, logging, file integrity monitoring

Policy development — information security, incident response, and PCI-specific procedures

ASV scan coordination and penetration testing for segmentation validation

SAQ completion, Attestation of Compliance, and ongoing quarterly maintenance

Frequently Asked Questions

What PCI merchant level are we?▼

Your level depends on annual Visa/Mastercard transaction volume. Level 1 (over 6 million transactions) requires a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) audit. Level 2 (1-6 million) typically uses an SAQ plus internal audit. Levels 3 and 4 (under 1 million) generally use SAQ. Most Houston SMBs are Level 3 or 4 and complete an SAQ annually. We help you confirm your level with your acquirer.

Which SAQ applies to us?▼

There are eight SAQ types based on how you accept cards. Card-not-present e-commerce with a redirect to a hosted payment page uses SAQ A. Terminal-only retailers use SAQ B or B-IP. Merchants that store or process cardholder data directly use SAQ D — the most comprehensive. Picking the right SAQ matters enormously because SAQ D has 300+ controls while SAQ A has around 20.

Do we need quarterly vulnerability scans?▼

Yes, if you have any internet-facing systems in your CDE. Quarterly external scans by an Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV) are mandatory for almost every SAQ. Internal quarterly scans are also required. We coordinate ASV scans, remediate findings, dispute false positives, and make sure you maintain passing scans across the compliance year.

Can we just outsource all card processing and avoid PCI entirely?▼

You can dramatically reduce scope, but you cannot eliminate PCI entirely as long as you accept cards. Even with a fully hosted, tokenized payment flow, you still have some SAQ A requirements covering your website, vendor management, and security policies. We help clients get as close to out-of-scope as possible, which is usually good enough to make compliance trivial.

What is different about PCI-DSS v4.0?▼

Version 4.0 introduces stronger MFA requirements, targeted risk analyses for certain controls, the option to use a customized approach instead of the defined approach, and new requirements for phishing defenses and script integrity on payment pages. Some requirements are best practice until March 2025 and mandatory after. We roadmap the upgrade so nothing catches you by surprise.

How much does PCI compliance cost?▼

For most Houston SMBs, the initial gap assessment and remediation project runs $15K-$60K depending on starting posture and scope. Ongoing annual compliance (quarterly ASV scans, SAQ completion, policy updates, log review) typically runs $8K-$25K per year. Level 1 merchants with a QSA audit cost significantly more. We minimize total cost by shrinking CDE scope aggressively upfront.

Ready to Get Started?

Contact LayerLogix today for a free consultation. We serve businesses throughout Houston, The Woodlands, Spring, and the surrounding Greater Houston area.

Schedule Free Consultation Call 888.792.8080