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Where to Find Qualified Security Assessors (QSAs)?
All businesses that sell goods on the internet must obtain a merchant service account. These accounts are issued by banks and other reputable financial institutions. If a client is granted an account, the bank will process all of the company's online credit card transactions for a fixed commission fee.
Since online businesses are far riskier than traditional ones, banks require all new merchant websites to pass a series of security tests. The first and most common validation tool is called a Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ).
The standard SAQ was designed to ensure that a company is complying with Payments Card Industry Data Security Standard (PSI DSS). In short, the bank wants to make certain that customers' credit card information is safe and cannot be accessed by internet criminals. Then there are Qualified Security Assessors (QSA).
Who or what are they? Organisations that are authorised to validate a company's adherence to Payment Account Data Security are referred to as QSAs. Since they are independent security companies, their determination carries a great deal of weight.
As you might expect, banks and financial institutions do not avail themselves of the services of a QSA for just any merchant service account. More often than not, a potential client has to be quite large and rather risky for the bank to request a Qualified Security Assessor.
A good example of a company that would require a thorough investigation from a QSA is an internet casino. Not only do these companies operate in a fast-paced industry that is known for theft and fraud, but many casinos also have a spotty history when it comes to security.
Not surprisingly, before a bank would grant such a company a merchant service account, they would want to make certain that their websites were virtually impregnable. And that is where the QSA comes in. Listing of reputable Quality Security Assessors can be found on the internet.