7 Best PCI DSS Auditors in 2025

A PCI audit is a thorough examination of a merchant’s compliance with PCI DSS requirements and is done by PCI DSS auditors. It includes numerous individual controls or safeguards for protecting cardholder information (such as the primary account number, CAV/CID/CVC2/CVV2, and other types), as well as systems that interact with payment processing.

To conduct an audit, you need a PCI auditor or more specifically, a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA). A QSA is appointed by the PCI Council to check the compliance of merchants and service providers with the PCI DSS Standards.

Who are PCI DSS auditors?

PCI DSS auditors are specialists who specialize in reviewing and assuring compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

PCI auditors are often people or organizations that have been given authorization by the PCI SSC to carry out audits and evaluate the compliance of organizations that deal with payment card data. To conduct PCI audits, these auditors must meet particular requirements and hold relevant certificates. They assess your policies, internal controls, and practices to audit your cardholder data environment (CDE).

PCI DSS auditors’ main responsibility is to carry out evaluations and audits to make sure the company has put in place the required security controls and precautions to safeguard cardholder data. To ensure compliance with the PCI DSS, they assess the organization’s systems, processes, policies, and procedures.

Also check: The Ultimate PCI DSS Compliance Checklist

5 Best PCI DSS auditors in 2023 

There are currently 395 QSA auditors listed on the PCI SSC website as of the publication of this article. Some QSAs serve different regions and have locations in various parts of the world. 

Some of the top QSAs are listed here:

1. Accorp Partners Inc

Accorp Partners Inc. helps organizations achieve and maintain compliance with popular industry-recognized standards like PCI DSS, SOC 2, ISO 27001, and more. They have 35 years of experience offering comprehensive auditing programs.

They help organizations with PCI audits by thoroughly assessing the compliance requirements, evaluating the existing security plan, and comprehensively reviewing the cardholder data environment. After the on-site evaluation, you get a detailed report on remediation planning. 

Their clients include a number of fortune 500 companies like TATA, Vodafone, EY, and more. 

2. KEN & Co

KEN & Co helps organizations manage compliance and audit challenges. They offer a wide range of services like internal audits, statutory audits, risk-based audit, concurrent audits, limited reviews, due diligence reviews, and management and performance audits. 

Their in-house team of skilled and competent professionals guide users by offering personalized recommendations to stay compliant in a way that aligns with the changing regulatory landscape. 

3. Payment Software Company (PSC)

One of the top-tier PCI QSA auditors is PSC. PSC has received certification from the PCI SSC to act as a QSAC, Software Security Framework Assessor (SSF), 3D Secure Assessor Company (3DS), PCI PIN Assessor, Point to Point Encryption QSAC (P2PE QSAC), and other roles. 

PSC claims that its clientele is spread throughout a variety of sectors, including financial services, retail, eCommerce merchants, payment gateways, tech firms, and more.

4. Coalfire Systems Inc.

Coalfire Systems is one of the most well-known names in the PCI compliance industry. Coalfire helps big businesses like Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and others carry out PCI assessments. Coalfire provides PCI services beyond just QSAs and evaluations. 

In addition to compliance services, they provide a wide range of other cybersecurity services, including vulnerability monitoring, managed services, cloud security, and penetration testing. 

5. SecurityMetrics

SecurityMetrics is a security firm based in the United States. They have provided data security and compliance services for more than 20 years. Their staff members possess a variety of PCI certifications, including the CISSP, PCI Forensic Investigator (PFI), and others. 

SecurityMetrics has received numerous honors and recognitions in the security field, similar to PSC and Coalfire. 

6. Advantio

Advantio offers a comprehensive range of professional and technological security services. In addition to a comprehensive list of PCI SSC certifications, ISO 27001, the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), GDPR, SOC2 and COBIT assessments are among their professional services. 

Their technical services cover red team evaluations, social engineering, phishing campaigns, physical security assessments, vulnerability scanning, ASV scanning, stress/capacity testing, and penetration testing of infrastructure, web apps, and mobile apps. 

7. Compliance Control Ltd.

Compliance Control is one of Europe’s cybersecurity firms. With more than 300 clients, they conduct over 200 audits each year. Compliance Control provides a variety of PCI SSC certifications, much like all other mentioned companies. 

Benefits of hiring PCI DSS auditors vendor

There are several benefits of employing a PCI DSS auditor for your compliance. Here are some of the benefits that a PCI DSS auditor can bring to your organization:

Independent evaluation

Vendors of PCI DSS auditors offer a fair and unbiased evaluation of the security practices and procedures used by an organization. Due to this independence, compliance examinations are always thorough and free of conflicts of interest.

Knowledge and expertise

Qualified Security Assessors (QSAs), in particular, are PCI DSS auditor suppliers with an in-depth understanding of the standards and best practices. They keep up with the most recent standards and business trends, enabling them to offer precise advice and suggestions for achieving compliance.

Also check: PCI DSS Assessment: A Quick Guide

Remediation instructions

Vendors of PCI DSS auditors not only point out areas of non-compliance but also provide advice on how to fix them. They offer guidance and best practices for enhancing security measures, fixing flaws, and making the required adjustments to comply with PCI DSS criteria. This advice can be quite helpful in improving an organization’s security posture.

Compliance verification

Organizations can confirm their compliance with PCI DSS requirements by using a PCI DSS auditor vendor. The vendor performs evaluations, reviews documentation, does technical tests and delivers ROCs or self-assessment questionnaires (SAQs) in formal reports on compliance. To prove compliance, these reports might be provided to acquiring banks, payment card companies, or other parties.

How to choose the best PCI DSS auditors?

To choose the right auditor for your PCI DSS program, consider the following tips:

• Look for auditors who have a proven track record of successfully helping organizations meet their auditing goals. They should have extensive experience in this field. 
• Ask your potential audit partner to give you a demo of how they plan on conducting the audits. The process, technology, and timelines are also important considerations while choosing a firm. 
• Cross check with their previous clients and existing customers to understand how well they are meeting their requirements, addressing the gaps, and enabling them to move towards their goals. 
• While quality and experience are important metrics to choose a vendor, keep your costs and budget constraints in mind as well. Choose a pricing module that best fits your organization. 
• Consider their quality of ongoing and post audit support. Additionally, they should have clear communication and collaboration throughout the auditing process.

How Sprinto streamlines your PCI compliance journey

PCI DSS compliance is critical for organizations that handle payment card data. It safeguards against data breaches, fosters customer confidence, and averts negative financial effects. Maintaining data security, credibility, and financial stability is essential to achieving PCI DSS compliance.

However, getting compliant with PCI DSS does not just entail the audit process. Before reaching that point, you must prepare for it, and it takes months for organizations to fulfill the pre-compliance requirements. 

When you use Sprinto to ensure PCI compliance, you get an all-in-one tool for your compliance and auditing solution. It continuously collects evidence in an auditor-friendly manner and organizes it in the dashboard for subsequent review.

When you use Sprinto to manage audit activities, you can integrate your chosen auditor into the secure Sprinto dashboard for efficient evidence review and collaboration. Seamlessly exchange messages, provide any requested additional evidence, and monitor audit progress—all within one unified interface. Get a demo now.

FAQs

Can businesses evaluate their own PCI DSS compliance?

Some organizations might be qualified to conduct self-assessments utilizing self-assessment questionnaires (SAQs), depending on their transaction volume and particular requirements. However, some compliance levels might need to be evaluated by a qualified outside auditor.

What makes a PCI audit important?

A PCI audit is important because it enables businesses to maintain the security of cardholder data and maintains regulatory compliance. It assists in preventing data breaches, safeguards client confidence, and averts sanctions or fines for noncompliance.

What does a PCI auditor look for during an audit?

During the auditing process, a number of things will be examined, such as the application of security policies and procedures, network security controls, security infrastructure, vulnerability management, access controls, physical access points, encryption practices, and general adherence to the PCI DSS criteria.