Evaluating whether your eCommerce development partner has the platform expertise depth to satisfy enterprise compliance requirements requires more than checking references and reviewing portfolios. This checklist provides a structured framework for assessing the specific capabilities that determine whether an implementation will meet audit requirements or create costly compliance gaps.
Use this checklist during partner evaluation, at project kickoff, and during quarterly reviews to ensure compliance-critical expertise stays engaged throughout the platform lifecycle.
Partner Evaluation Checklist
Before signing an engagement, validate these capabilities through discovery sessions, technical interviews, and reference checks.
Platform security architecture knowledge:
- Partner can diagram the platform’s authentication and authorization flow from browser to database without referencing documentation
- Partner can identify which platform components handle sensitive data and explain the protection mechanisms for each
- Partner has documented experience with the platform’s Content Security Policy implementation and script management for PCI DSS 4.0 compliance
- Partner understands the platform’s session management architecture including token generation, storage, timeout, and revocation
- Partner can explain the platform’s API authentication mechanisms and their security characteristics (OAuth, token-based, session-based)
Compliance-specific experience:
- Partner has completed at least three eCommerce implementations that passed PCI DSS assessment on the first attempt
- Partner can provide examples of data flow documentation they created for previous compliance-focused projects
- Partner maintains a control mapping framework that maps platform capabilities to PCI DSS, SOC 2, or GDPR requirements
- Partner has experience with the specific regulatory frameworks your organization operates under
- Partner can reference specific platform security patches from the past 12 months and explain their compliance implications
Extension and integration security governance:
- Partner has a documented process for security review of third-party extensions before installation
- Partner maintains awareness of known vulnerabilities in common platform extensions
- Partner can demonstrate their approach to Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) tracking for the platform ecosystem
- Partner has experience building secure integrations with ERP, CRM, and payment systems relevant to your technology stack
Architecture Phase Checklist
During the architecture and design phase, ensure these compliance-critical activities are completed before development begins.
Data classification and flow mapping:
- All data types processed by the eCommerce platform are classified by sensitivity level (public, internal, confidential, restricted)
- Data flow diagrams document every path sensitive data takes through the platform, including APIs, caching layers, background processes, and third-party integrations
- Data retention policies are defined for each data type and mapped to platform capabilities for automated enforcement
- Cross-border data transfer requirements are identified if the platform serves customers in multiple regulatory jurisdictions
Security architecture design:
- Access control model designed with least-privilege principles, mapping organizational roles to platform permissions
- Encryption strategy documented for data at rest (database, file storage, backups) and in transit (browser-to-server, server-to-API, server-to-database)
- Audit logging strategy defines which events are captured, where they’re stored, how long they’re retained, and how they’re reviewed
- Vulnerability management plan covers platform core, extensions, custom code, and infrastructure components
- Incident response plan is tailored to eCommerce-specific scenarios (payment data exposure, account takeover, web skimming)
| Architecture Decision | Compliance Impact | Assessment Question |
|---|---|---|
| Payment data handling method | Defines PCI DSS scope | Does the approach minimize stored cardholder data? |
| Admin authentication | PCI 8.x, SOC 2 CC6.1 | Is MFA enforced for all admin access? |
| Data encryption approach | PCI 3.x, GDPR Art. 32 | Are all regulated data fields encrypted at rest? |
| Third-party script management | PCI 6.4.3, 11.6.1 | Are all checkout page scripts inventoried and monitored? |
| Log management architecture | PCI 10.x, SOC 2 CC7.2 | Do logs capture all required events with sufficient detail? |
Bemeir’s architecture sprints include compliance checkpoints at each design milestone, ensuring that security controls are designed alongside business features rather than retrofitted after development.
Development Phase Checklist
During active development, these practices ensure compliance controls are implemented correctly and consistently.
Secure development practices:
- All custom code follows the platform’s secure coding guidelines (for Magento, the Adobe Commerce security best practices)
- Static application security testing (SAST) runs on every code commit and blocks merges with critical findings
- Dependency vulnerability scanning flags known CVEs in third-party libraries before they reach production
- Code reviews include a security-focused review step for all changes that touch sensitive data, authentication, or authorization logic
- Input validation and output encoding are applied consistently across all user-facing interfaces
Configuration management:
- All environment configurations are managed through Infrastructure as Code with version control and change tracking
- Production configuration changes require documented approval and are applied through automated deployment, not manual modification
- Security-sensitive configurations (encryption keys, API credentials, admin access) are stored in a secrets management system, not in code repositories or configuration files
- Configuration drift detection alerts the team when production settings deviate from the approved baseline
Testing for compliance:
- Security test cases are included in the test plan for every feature that touches sensitive data or access controls
- Penetration testing is scheduled before go-live and repeated annually at minimum
- Payment flow testing validates that cardholder data is handled correctly through every transaction scenario including failures, refunds, and partial captures
- Admin access testing confirms that role-based permissions work correctly and no unintended access paths exist
Operations Phase Checklist
Post-launch operations determine whether your compliance posture is maintained over time.
Ongoing monitoring:
- Real-time monitoring is configured for security events: failed login attempts, privilege escalation, data export operations, configuration changes
- File integrity monitoring detects unauthorized changes to platform code and configuration
- Vulnerability scanning runs weekly against all internet-facing components
- Third-party extension updates are monitored and security patches applied within defined SLAs
Maintenance and patching:
- Platform security patches are evaluated within 48 hours of release and applied within the timeframe defined by your compliance framework
- Extension updates are reviewed for security implications before installation in production
- Infrastructure components (OS, web server, database, PHP/Node.js) are patched on a defined schedule
- End-of-life tracking for all technology components ensures nothing runs past its security support window
Compliance evidence collection:
- Audit logs are exported to a tamper-evident archive accessible to compliance reviewers
- Change management records are complete and retrievable for any production modification
- Access review records demonstrate periodic validation that admin privileges remain appropriate
- Vulnerability scan reports and remediation records are archived for the retention period required by your compliance framework
Quarterly Review Checklist
Schedule these reviews quarterly to catch compliance drift before it becomes an audit finding.
- Access control review: all admin accounts validated, unused accounts disabled, permissions reviewed against current role requirements
- Extension inventory audit: compare installed extensions against approved list, verify all are current versions with no known vulnerabilities
- Data flow validation: confirm documented data flows match actual system behavior (new integrations or features may have changed data paths)
- Security configuration review: validate that all security-related platform and infrastructure settings match the approved baseline
- Compliance evidence completeness: verify that all required evidence artifacts are being generated and archived correctly
This checklist is a living document. As your platform evolves, your regulatory landscape changes, and your development partner implements new features, revisit and update each section to maintain alignment between your eCommerce implementation and your compliance obligations.
