There’s a lot to know when it comes to securing payment card-related data. If you’re in the market for PCI approved scanning vendors and don’t know where to start, you’ve come to the right place.
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, or PCI DSS, is a set of 12 requirements organized into six control objectives to provide security to cardholder data. PCI DSS was created to provide a consistent security standard on a global scale for all businesses who store, process, or transmit payment card related data.
Requirement 11 of PCI DSS deals with testing security systems and processes. It requires running internal and external network vulnerability scans at least once every quarter. One of the clauses under this specification is to perform external vulnerability scans by PCI approved scanning vendors, also referred to as Approved Scanning Vendors (ASVs).
The complete list of PCI scanning vendors can be found on the official website of the PCI Security Standards Council. These vendors offer external vulnerability scanning solutions that adhere to PCI requirements, and they are tested and approved by PCI SSC before they’re added to the list.
ASV Scan Cost
An ASV scan cost depends on the features of the product and the scanning vendor. An ASV scan HackerGuardian from Sectigo can cost as low as $79.66 per year. If you are looking for an extended scan, the HackerProof Trust Mark Vulnerability Scan will cost you $577.50 per year from www.sectigostore.com
A Comparison of Top PCI Approved Scanning Vendors
Let’s do a quick comparison among some of the prominent and affordable approved scanning vendors:
Sectigo | Sectigo | ServerScan | Tenable | TrustGuard | McAFree | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Product | HackerGuardian | HackerProof Trust Mark Vulnerability Scan | ServerScan PCI Scanning | Tenable.io PCI ASV Workbench | Security Scanned | McAfee Secure PCI Compliance Scanning |
Unlimited, On-Demand Scanning | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unknown | (Depends on the plan) | Yes |
Self-Assessment Questionnaire | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unknown | Yes | No |
Automated Scan Frequency Options | Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Quarterly | Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Quarterly | Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Quarterly | Quarterly Internal and External Vulnerability Scans | Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Quarterly | Unknown |
Support | Phone, Email, and Chat | Phone, Email, and Chat | Phone and Email | Phone and Email | Phone and Email | Phone and Email |
Security Trust Seal | No | Yes | Yes | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
Price Per Year | As low as $79.66 per year | As low as $577.50 per year | $188 (per IP address per year) | Starts at $2,275 per year for Tenable.io licensing | $148 per year for quarterly scans (up to $1,764 per year for daily) | $150 (per IP annually) |
Buy Now | Buy Now |
While it’s true that all of the PCI scanning vendors on the list provide solutions that adhere to PCI DSS basic requirements, that doesn’t mean that they’re equal. The checklist below highlights qualities that you should look for when selecting a reputable and reliable PCI approved scanning vendor.
- Reliability and Accuracy. Are you spending too much time trying to resolve false positives? Is your scanner allowing vulnerabilities to go undetected? There is a fine line between the two scenarios, and a good ASV is continually tuning their scan engines to deliver accurate results. Make sure you choose a vendor that invests in their products and research to keep their scanning results as up to date as possible.
- Customer Support. Having round the clock dedicated customer support with skilled and experienced staff to resolve any issues or questions around vulnerability scans could potentially save your business from losing clients, reputation, or money. Make sure your ASV is there for your business when it needs them.
- Continually Meets Standards. Do not select ASV vendors listed in red since that indicates they have not met all the current qualification requirements and are in remediation status. Failure to remediate within a stipulated timeframe could strike them off the list of approved PCI scanning vendors. A competent ASV goes above and beyond the base PCI DSS specifications and offers additional security services and trainings.
Scan your servers at the best price with Hacker Guardian
Run regular PCI scans and stay PCI DSS compliant with the HackerProof Trust Mark Vulnerability Scan.