Payment security with zero margin for error: Akua’s experience working with Strike
The payment infrastructure company needed to secure its platform while still under development and comply with PCI DSS standards under tight deadlines. With Strike, they were able to detect and remediate vulnerabilities efficiently, supported by clear communication and precise validations.
Security that drives business forward.
Introduction
Akua is a payment infrastructure company that enables merchants to operate with multiple payment methods in a secure, scalable, and efficient way. To maintain customer trust and comply with the highest industry standards, the company needed to validate a platform under development and achieve PCI DSS certification within a tight timeframe. To do so, Akua chose Strike as a strategic partner.
- Regional payment platform with active operations in Uruguay and Colombia, and planned expansion to Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, and Central America.
- Infrastructure capable of processing more than 50 million transactions per day across the region.
- Acquiring-as-a-Service (AaaS) model that allows banks, fintechs, and aggregators to launch digital payment systems in record time.
Context
Akua operates in a digital payments environment that demands high levels of security, compliance, and availability. The company needed to validate a continuously evolving platform and ensure it met the strict requirements of PCI DSS.
They already had positive experiences working with the Strike team in previous engagements, which built the necessary trust to move forward with a complex pentest alongside a provider that combines advanced technology with expert security talent. This trust and the technical reputation of the Strikers were key factors in choosing Strike as a partner.
The challenge
The main challenge was conducting an effective pentest on a platform under continuous development. As described by Akua’s cybersecurity lead:
“Pentesting a platform under development can be very frustrating. Hackers end up spending time on things that won’t even be part of the final product, which impacts the overall quality of the process.”
Additionally, Akua had worked with multiple vendors before and had a clear benchmark: they needed not only technical accuracy but also a smooth, transparent, and well-coordinated working dynamic.
What Akua highlighted
- Quality of the assigned talent
Vulnerabilities were identified that other providers had failed to detect for years. - Transparency and trust
The prior relationship between teams enabled open, clear, and efficient collaboration. - Structured and auditable workflow
Slack for tactical discussions + the Strike platform for formal tracking and traceability. - Flexibility and adaptability
Despite tight timelines and a constantly evolving platform, the pentest was completed accurately without affecting platform stability.