Blog | Manju Mayachar

Notes, ideas, learnings, and reflections—shared as I navigate building, securing, and scaling in technology.

PCI DSS: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How SaaS Companies Should Think About It

A Little History Before PCI DSS, every credit card company had its own security program. Visa had CISP, Mastercard had SDP, Amex had DSOP — and it was a mess. Merchants didn’t know which rules to follow. Security was inconsistent. Fraud was exploding. In 2004, Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, and JCB finally came together and said: enough. They formed the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) and created one standard: PCI DSS — the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. ...

ISO 27001 Sets the Foundation—But Why Stop There?

ISO 27001 Sets the Foundation—But Why Stop There? How the ISO 27000 family helps SaaS companies scale security and privacy beyond the basics If you’re running a SaaS company, you’ve already heard of ISO 27001. Maybe you’ve even implemented it. It’s a solid start—arguably the gold standard for building an Information Security Management System (ISMS). But here’s the thing: ISO 27001 is just the beginning. The ISO/IEC 27000 series is more than a single framework. It’s a family of standards, each designed to help you customize your security and privacy program to fit your specific risk environment. For SaaS companies operating in cloud-native environments, handling personal data, and facing a fast-moving regulatory landscape, flexibility matters. ...

Understanding SOC 2, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001: Navigating Security and Compliance Frameworks

How to choose the right framework—or combination—for your SaaS business. Security and compliance can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re scaling fast and everyone expects clear answers, from enterprise buyers to your board. If you’re in SaaS, you’ve likely encountered these names: SOC 2, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001. Maybe they’re on your roadmap. You may have been asked for all three in a single deal cycle. Here’s the thing: these frameworks aren’t mutually exclusive. Each serves a different purpose. Used strategically, they complement each other and build trust with various audiences. ...