PCI Qualified Security Assessor

PCI Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) is a person or organization that has been certified by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) to help businesses comply with the PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

Here s what that means in practice:

• PCI DSS is a global security standard that applies to any company handling credit card data. It sets requirements for securely processing, storing, and transmitting cardholder information.
• A QSA is an independent security professional trained and approved by the PCI Council to assess whether an organization is following those requirements.
• QSAs usually work for firms called QSA Companies, which provide auditing and advisory services.
• They perform PCI DSS assessments, validate compliance, and often issue a Report on Compliance (ROC) that businesses must submit to banks or card brands

In short: A PCI QSA is a trusted, certified security expert who audits and guides businesses on meeting PCI DSS compliance so they can safely handle payment card data.