Get the 2026 SecurityMetrics PCI Guide

PCI compliance has experienced a lot of changes in the past few years, including version 3.2.1 retiring in March 2024 and the new adoption of version 4.0.1. Meanwhile, threat actors have started ramping up their efforts, using AI to exploit businesses’ sensitive data. Payment security through meeting PCI compliance has never been more important or more timely, which is why I appreciate the SecurityMetrics PCI Guide.

Every year, SecurityMetrics experts analyze customer data to create that year’s PCI guide. Read this year’s blog (the 11th edition) to learn about what you can expect from this year’s guide and submit your information to receive the guide for free. 

Why I Like the 2026 PCI Guide

If you work in the data security or compliance world as I do, you’re likely always looking for the best information on protecting your business from evolving cybersecurity threats. I’ve found that while it’s easy to find a myriad of resources on PCI compliance, it’s hard to know which resources are reputable and come from actual, active experts.

Here is why the SecurityMetrics guide remains my go-to resource year after year:

• Top Ten Failing SAQ Sections: SecurityMetrics scans its merchant database in search of the top ten areas where merchants struggled to become compliant. This guide features in-depth information about each SAQ section that wasn’t adopted. 
• Real Expert Insights: The PCI Guide is written by certified PCI Qualified Security Assessors (QSAs) with decades of hands-on industry experience. I can rest easy knowing that the guide is heavily researched and aligned with the latest guidance from the PCI Security Standards Council.
• Always Current: It can be difficult to know if you’re getting the latest information, especially now that the transition to PCI DSS v4.0.1 is fully behind us and organizations are being actively audited against it. Luckily, SecurityMetrics updates its PCI guide every single year, so I know I’m getting the information that matters now, in 2026.
• Friendly to Your Budget: My absolute favorite part of the 2026 guide is that it’s 100% free. I get enterprise-grade compliance advice without spending any money.

What’s in the 2026 Guide?

There’s a lot to love in this year’s PCI Guide, including real-world auditor stories from the field with helpful tips on accomplishing complex requirements, proprietary statistics, a breakdown of maintaining compliance under v4.0.1, and more.

Download the 2026 PCI Guide to learn:

• Top Ten Failing SAQ Sections
• Understanding Your PCI DSS Responsibility
• Mastering the PCI DSS Version 4.0.1 Environment
• Auditor and Forensic Perspectives and Stories
• Implementing a PCI-Compliant Remote/Hybrid Workforce Setup
• How to Prepare for and Respond to a Modern Data Breach
• Latest Payment Data Statistics (Proprietary to SecurityMetrics)
• Creating and Optimizing a 2026 PCI Budget
• Helpful and Descriptive Infographics

PCI DSS Stats and Infographics You Need to Know

Every year, SecurityMetrics gathers important data from customers about their PCI responsibilities, the specific threat vectors they’ve faced, and modern breach trends. These statistics are featured in the guide as clean, highly visual infographics so readers can easily understand the current compliance landscape.

What Are Readers Saying?

“I really appreciated the testimonials from the auditors and the occasional term definitions. Adding the checklists are also helpful.” – Pamela, Denney, University of Arizona

"I love SecurityMetrics and their materials because they are written so the non-technical person can understand them. The materials are written with specific, linear, clear-language information that is needed when learning a topic this complex..." — Anonymous Subscriber

"One of the best guides I have read. Very readable and understandable!" — Amie Daner, Geddes Federal Savings and Loans

What Are You Waiting For?

There’s a reason that SecurityMetrics’ PCI guide is award-winning. It details the information you need to maintain compliance in a clear, concise, and actionable way.

Whether you’re preparing for an upcoming PCI audit, a HIPAA evaluation, a penetration test, a risk assessment, or you just need to train your team on 2026 threat vectors, there is simply no better resource on the market.

Get the 2026 PCI Guide. 

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