日本語 
NRI Secure Technologies announced the rollout, on November 20, 2025, of a new service: the Secure SketCH PCI DSS SAQ Management Template, built into its existing Secure SketCH security-evaluation platform.
This service is designed to help organizations that process credit-card data meet the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard or PCI DSS through easier, more accurate, and more collaborative management of Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQs) via the web.
Key Features of the New PCI DSS SAQ Tool
This new offering from NRI Secure unites three significant business benefits for organizations striving to become PCI DSS-compliant:
Efficient Web-based Management: Users can respond to SAQ questions, upload evidence, and track progress entirely online. They can also carry forward responses and documentation from previous years, streamlining ongoing compliance efforts.
Expert Guidance Built-In: Every SAQ question has detailed explanations and examples of acceptable evidence, pulled from NRI Secure’s own PCI DSS expertise. That helps teams answer more precisely and consistently. There’s even a comments field so different stakeholders-compliance, audit, and IT-can maintain context and shared understanding.
Professional Advisory Support: Besides, organizations may also engage consulting support for PCI DSS QSA through email or meetings to select the appropriate SAQ type, interpret requirements, and develop a roadmap toward compliance.
The annual usage fee of the service is from 1.32 million JPY (inclusive of tax).
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Implications for Japan’s Tech and Security Industry
Strengthening Compliance in the Payment and Fintech Ecosystem
The launch of this streamlined, expert-backed SAQ tool comes at a time when Japan’s digital payments and fintech sectors are seeing unprecedented expansion. Sensitive cardholder data is being handled by many firms, for which compliance with PCI DSS is uncompromising. NRI Secure will henceforth likely be helping a broader range of merchants, payment service providers, and online businesses to maintain compliance through reduced barriers to audit-grade self-assessment and simultaneously reduce the risks and costs.
This matters because non-compliance can lead to severe fines, reputational damage, and potential data breaches, which in turn erode customer trust. With embedded evidence management and support by experts, Secure SketCH supports companies to run PCI DSS compliance not just to pass the audit but continuously and more reliably.
Impact on the Cybersecurity Services Market
With the move, NRI Secure further cements its position in the cybersecurity services market, especially in compliance-driven sectors. It adds to a growing portfolio of services including pentesting, AI-oriented red-team assessments, and security-by-design platforms (DevSecOps).
As compliance is a long-term requirement, not a one-time check-off, demand for SaaS tools that manage ongoing regulatory verification should continue to grow. NRI Secure is well-placed to capture a slice of that demand, especially from mid to large enterprises handling payments and lacking internal expertise in the audit of PCI DSS.
Broader Effects on Operations and Digital Trust
Operational Efficiency: The teams handling PCI DSS compliance can save time and reduce manual overhead in managing the whole process. Historical responses and evidence make it easier to operate year on year with fewer challenges of gathering documentation.
Better Governance: By embedding expert explanations and QSA access, the service enhances the quality of compliance governance. Decision-makers can be more confident that SAQ answers are meaningful and defendable.
Risk Reduction: More accurate SAQ responses coupled with proper evidence management result in fewer gaps within security controls, hence reducing the risk of data breaches.
Digital Trust and Reputation: Organisations that are visibly maintaining strong PCI DSS compliance are able to use that as a trust signal to customers, partners, and regulators. In a digital-native economy, such trust is a competitive advantage.
Challenges and Risks to Consider
While this new service is highly promising, a number of difficulties may influence its adoption and impact:
Barrier for smaller enterprises: at 1.32 million JPY/year, the service may be expensive for small businesses or startups, especially those with tight margins. Some may opt for cheaper or manual compliance routes, limiting market reach.
Complexity of PCI DSS: The standard PCI DSS, even with expert support, is quite complicated. Misinterpretation of SAQ types or misunderstanding of evidence requirements remains a risk, especially for organizations new to compliance.
Reliance on Third Parties: Organizations relying on third-party processors may find that self-assessment alone is inadequate-they have to make sure their partners comply, which complicates SAQ logic and evidence gathering.
Ongoing Updates: The PCI DSS standards change over time. NRI Secure will update templates, question logic, and guidance on an ongoing basis to reflect these changes and will ensure customers migrate smoothly to new versions.
Conclusion
This launch represents a huge step forward in both the cybersecurity and payments world of Japan. The main objective of the Secure SketCH PCI DSS SAQ Management Template is to enable efficient, accurate, and easy access to this compliance by allowing web-based self-assessment, expert-driven guidance, and management of the documentation.
While this tool bridges a gap in complex regulatory terrain for Fintechs, payment processors, e-commerce players, and generally all those businesses operating with cardholder data, it also strengthens the credibility and portfolio of NRI Secure in the GRC cybersecurity domain.
As the digital payments economy of Japan continues to grow, such tools will play an increasingly important role in cementing trust, reducing operation risk, and making sure that security scales with business innovation.
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