A tailored course, built for your situation
Direct control over PCI DSS scope adjustments and evidence collection
A 199 tailored course for Brian Soh to lock decision rights on compliance boundary-setting and artifact ownership
$199 one-time
24-hour access provisioning
30-day money-back guarantee
Hand-built implementation playbook
12 modules. 12 chapters per module. 144 chapters total.
12 modules, each with 12 chapters (144 chapters total), text-based, plus downloadable templates and a hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access.
Last-minute scope surprises in PCI DSS audits
The situation this course is for
Audit timelines collapse when scope ownership is unclear. Evidence chases slow everything. Deference to senior reviewers creates drag. The person closest to the control isn’t the one deciding.
Who this is for
Senior compliance or risk executive shaping governance outcomes at a global financial institution
Who this is not for
Individuals looking for entry-level PCI DSS training or generic audit prep without decision authority
What you walk away with
- Assert clear ownership over PCI DSS scope boundaries without escalation
- Define evidence collection timelines and sampling rules independently
- Make binding determinations on system inclusions or exclusions from the CDE
- Document control over mapping updates without waiting for senior sign-off
- Lead the narrative in pre-audit walkthroughs with complete decision records
The 12 modules (with all 144 chapters)
Module 1. Defining the CDE edge with confidence
Learn how to formally document system boundaries and data flows so the scope is defensible and final. Covers real-world edge cases in financial services environments.
12 chapters in this module
- What qualifies as cardholder data
- Mapping encrypted tokens across systems
- Identifying out-of-scope zones
- Service provider inclusion rules
- When a database is in-scope
- Legacy system carve-out justifications
- Logging requirements for proxies
- Firewall rule boundaries
- API exposure thresholds
- Virtualization risks
- Cloud segmentation logic
- Documenting scope rationale
Module 2. Ownership of evidence workflows
Take full direction of evidence collection cycles, formats, and delegation, so you control quality, timing, and sufficiency.
12 chapters in this module
- Designing evidence packets
- Sampling rate decisions
- Evidence format standards
- Delegating collection safely
- Tracking submission timelines
- Automated evidence triggers
- Vendor evidence rules
- Internal auditor coordination
- Evidence retention schedules
- Withdrawal of insufficient submissions
- Escalation thresholds
- Final approval workflows
Module 3. Binding scope change decisions
Make real-time calls on scope shifts due to system changes, M&A, or cloud migration without waiting for review.
12 chapters in this module
- Change notification triggers
- Interim scope documentation
- Temporary in-scope status
- Decommissioning system exit
- Cloud workload auto-inclusion
- When a test environment counts
- DevOps pipeline thresholds
- Change advisory board role
- Emergency change rules
- Post-implementation scope review
- Audit trail for scope changes
- Version-controlled scope log
Module 4. Final determinations on control mapping
Own the link between technical controls and PCI DSS requirements, no rework, no disputes.
12 chapters in this module
- Control-to-requirement alignment
- Shared control ownership
- Technical vs procedural mapping
- Compensating control justification
- When segmentation counts as a control
- Firewall rule documentation
- DMZ configuration standards
- Log retention as evidence
- Access review frequency rules
- MFA implementation scope
- Endpoint protection thresholds
- Versioning control mappings
Module 5. Directing pre-audit walkthroughs
Lead the conversation with assessors, set the pace, scope, and evidence sequence.
12 chapters in this module
- Pre-assessment briefing ownership
- Setting auditor access levels
- Walkthrough agenda control
- Evidence sequence planning
- Interviewee selection
- System demo boundaries
- Confidentiality limits
- Time-boxing requests
- Follow-up item ownership
- Real-time clarification authority
- Dispute resolution path
- Final pre-report input
Module 6. Control over compensating controls
Approve and document alternative controls without escalation.
12 chapters in this module
- When to propose a compensating control
- Four-part justification rule
- Segregation of duties examples
- Manual review as a control
- Time-bound compensations
- Documentation sufficiency
- Assessor acceptance paths
- Internal pre-vet process
- Risk weighting of gaps
- Seniority override protocols
- Sunset tracking
- Audit trail retention
Module 7. Ownership of ROC content decisions
Final say on what goes into the Report on Compliance, including narrative tone and depth.
12 chapters in this module
- ROC section ownership
- Narrative clarity standards
- Evidence cross-references
- Risk acceptance wording
- Executive summary input
- Appendix inclusion rules
- Version control for drafts
- Caveat language approval
- Clarification response authority
- Assessor coordination
- Final submission timing
- Post-submission updates
Module 8. Vendor-related scope determinations
Make the call on whether third parties expand your PCI DSS footprint.
12 chapters in this module
- Shared responsibility models
- Cloud provider accountability
- SaaS payment tools
- Managed service thresholds
- API integration rules
- Data flow visibility requirements
- Contractual evidence rights
- Right-to-audit clauses
- Subprocessor tracking
- Exit planning obligations
- Penetration test sharing
- Incident response roles
Module 9. Stand-alone authority on segmentation testing
Decide when segmentation is sufficient, and when deeper validation is needed.
12 chapters in this module
- Network segmentation principles
- Firewall rule completeness
- Router ACL reviews
- VLAN separation standards
- Wireless network boundaries
- Air-gapped system checks
- Penetration test scope
- Internal vs external tests
- Third-party test acceptance
- Frequency rules
- Remediation tracking
- Documentation standards
Module 10. Final say on ASV scan exceptions
Approve or reject automated scan deviations based on environment logic.
12 chapters in this module
- ASV scan coverage rules
- IP range exclusions
- Maintenance window waivers
- Load balancer handling
- Cloud auto-scaling rules
- False positive validation
- Remediation timelines
- Exception justification
- Temporary bypass protocols
- Review frequency
- Internal challenge process
- Audit trail requirements
Module 11. Control over policy exception approvals
Own the threshold and documentation for temporary compliance deviations.
12 chapters in this module
- Policy exception criteria
- Risk appetite alignment
- Time-bound limits
- Approval delegation rules
- Stakeholder notification
- Monitoring requirements
- Escalation triggers
- Revalidation timing
- Documentation standards
- Audit trail inclusion
- Portfolio-level tracking
- Sunset enforcement
Module 12. End-to-end ownership of compliance updates
Drive version-level changes to PCI DSS implementation without waiting for governance cycles.
12 chapters in this module
- Change initiation ownership
- Impact assessment rules
- Cross-team coordination
- Documentation update authority
- Review cycle triggers
- Stakeholder input limits
- Final version approval
- Training update direction
- Version compatibility checks
- Legacy system support
- Audit mapping updates
- Final sign-off
How this maps to your situation
- When a new system processes card data
- Before the annual assessment cycle begins
- After a cloud migration completes
- During a vendor audit readiness push
Before vs. after
Before
Scope changes require approvals. Evidence collection is reactive. Control mapping gets challenged.
After
You set the scope. You own the evidence. You close disputes. Your call is final.
What's included with your purchase
- 12 modules with 12 chapters each (144 chapters)
- Downloadable templates and worked examples for every module
- Hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Delivery and format
- Course and learning environment access provisioned within 24 hours of purchase
- Hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access
Format: Text-based modules and chapters in the Art of Service learning environment, plus downloadable templates and worked examples for every chapter, plus the hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access.
Time investment: Approximately 3 hours per module, designed for real-world application alongside current responsibilities.
If nothing changes
Without clear decision ownership, every cycle invites delays, rework, and erosion of influence. Others step into your lane. Your expertise doesn’t convert to control.
How this compares to the alternatives
Unlike generic PCI DSS training, this course is built for practitioners authorized to make binding decisions. It doesn’t teach compliance basics, it teaches command of the process.
Frequently asked
Who is this course for?
Senior compliance, risk, or audit practitioners with operational ownership of PCI DSS outcomes and authority to make final calls.
How is the course structured?
12 modules, each containing 12 chapters (144 chapters total).
Will this help with auditor disputes?
Yes, by giving you documented authority over scope, evidence, and control mapping, you lead the narrative.
$199 one-time. Approximately 3 hours per module, designed for real-world application alongside current responsibilities..
Within 24 hours your account in the learning environment is provisioned and the tailored implementation playbook is delivered alongside it.
30-day money-back guarantee·
144 chapters·
Hand-built playbook included·
Account access within 24 hours