Strategy and Solutions
The client was a national retail chain with more than 500 stores across the United States. The company processed millions of daily transactions across point-of-sale (POS) systems, mobile payment devices, and e-commerce platforms. With recent expansion into new states and the rollout of omnichannel sales, its legacy payment infrastructure was struggling to keep up with evolving compliance, security, and scalability demands.
Several franchise stores reported incidents of card skimming and suspected payment data exposure. The company’s leadership recognized that while its systems were still functional, they no longer met modern security standards — particularly the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Failing the next PCI audit could mean losing the ability to process credit cards, damaging consumer confidence, and inviting costly penalties.
Zymr was brought in to conduct a complete PCI DSS readiness assessment and redesign the company’s network security framework. The objective was not only to close existing compliance gaps but also to build a secure, scalable foundation capable of supporting rapid business growth and digital transformation.
This engagement became a cornerstone of the retailer’s journey toward trusted, customer-centric digital commerce.
The assessment revealed several critical weaknesses in the retailer’s security architecture that created compliance, operational, and reputational risks.
Fragmented POS Ecosystem
The company had accumulated various POS systems from different vendors over time. Some stores were running outdated terminals that lacked full encryption, while others relied on legacy payment gateways that stored sensitive card data locally.
Flat Network Design
Store networks were flat and interconnected, allowing lateral traffic between POS systems, employee devices, and back-office networks. This design violated PCI DSS segmentation requirements, making it difficult to isolate the cardholder data environment (CDE).
Inconsistent Security Controls
Patch management and endpoint protection varied widely between regions. Several locations still used shared administrative credentials, and remote desktop access lacked multi-factor authentication (MFA).
Lack of Centralized Monitoring
The security operations team lacked real-time visibility into endpoint events, transaction logs, and network activity. Suspicious activity often went unnoticed until after it had escalated.
Audit Readiness Gaps
Previous PCI assessments had identified over 60 vulnerabilities across encryption, authentication, and access control domains. The next audit was scheduled within six months, leaving a narrow remediation window.
In essence, the retailer faced a convergence of legacy technology, inconsistent policy enforcement, and looming regulatory deadlines. Without swift intervention, the company risked failing PCI DSS certification — a potential business-stopping scenario for any merchant processing millions in card transactions daily.
Zymr’s engagement fundamentally reshaped how the retail chain approached payment security. The client moved from a reactive compliance model to a proactive security-first strategy that now underpins every business expansion.
The PCI DSS project delivered more than certification — it delivered resilience, visibility, and trust. By combining technical excellence with compliance precision, Zymr helped the retailer future-proof its payment infrastructure against emerging threats and evolving regulations.
Today, the company’s secure, segmented, and continuously monitored payment network is a showcase of how digital retail modernization can coexist with airtight compliance.
Through this transformation, Zymr reaffirmed its role not only as a technology partner but as a strategic enabler of secure, scalable, and customer-trusted digital commerce.
The results were significant both technically and operationally.
The success of this initiative went beyond regulatory compliance — it reestablished customer trust at a time when consumer skepticism around digital payment security was growing.
This engagement demonstrated how aligning technical modernization with compliance frameworks can create a competitive advantage rather than an operational burden.
Zymr executed a full-scope PCI DSS remediation and modernization program, combining network engineering, endpoint security, and compliance documentation.
1. PCI DSS Gap Analysis and Roadmap
We began with a comprehensive PCI DSS gap assessment across all twelve compliance requirements, mapping each control to existing assets and processes.
2. Network Microsegmentation and Secure Architecture
To contain cardholder data within a defined perimeter, Zymr redesigned the retailer’s network architecture using a zero-trust approach.
This architectural redesign not only achieved PCI DSS isolation requirements but also improved network performance by reducing broadcast traffic.
3. Endpoint Hardening and Access Control
Zymr standardized endpoint protection across all store devices:
For stores operating legacy POS systems, Zymr developed a containment strategy using virtualized secure gateways to encrypt and tokenize sensitive card data before transmission.
4. Continuous Monitoring and Log Management
We implemented a centralized SIEM platform to monitor all security events across stores, datacenters, and cloud services.
5. Policy Framework and Staff Training
Technical controls were reinforced with governance and awareness programs:
Together, these initiatives ensured that compliance was not a one-time project but an ongoing operational discipline.
In summary, Zymr transformed a fragmented retail infrastructure into a unified, auditable, and security-hardened payment environment — capable of withstanding threats while meeting the stringent demands of PCI DSS.
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