Penetration Testing for Financial Services
Financial services organisations face some of the most sophisticated cyber threats and stringent regulatory requirements of any industry. Banks, insurance companies, investment firms, payment processors, and fintech startups are high-value targets for cybercriminals seeking financial data, customer PII, and access to payment systems.
Penetration testing for financial services must address unique challenges including complex legacy systems, interconnected third-party ecosystems, real-time transaction processing, and regulatory requirements from multiple frameworks simultaneously. Financial institutions must comply with PCI DSS, SOC 2, DORA, NIST CSF, and often SWIFT CSP, requiring comprehensive testing programmes that cover web applications, APIs, mobile banking, payment gateways, and internal infrastructure.
Advanced testing such as red teaming and TIBER-EU threat-led pen testing is increasingly required by financial regulators to validate detection and response capabilities against sophisticated threat actors.
NCC Group
Global cybersecurity consultancy with CREST, CHECK, and CBEST accreditation, renowned for deep technical research and comprehensive penetration testing services.
SECFORCE
Canary Wharf-based adversary simulation and CBEST-aligned penetration testing consultancy, delivering CREST-accredited offensive security to UK financial services and other organisations with the most demanding requirements.
Dionach
Global enterprise cybersecurity consultancy founded in 1999 in Oxford, holding rare CREST STAR-FS accreditation and delivering penetration testing, red and purple teaming, and PCI QSA services across five international offices.
NetSPI
Penetration testing firm trusted by nine of the top ten US banks, with the Resolve platform for continuous attack surface management.
Pen Test Partners
The UK's largest independent security testing firm, renowned for IoT/OT research, CBEST red teaming, and CHECK/CREST-accredited penetration testing across all sectors.
PwC Cyber Security
Global Big Four professional services firm delivering CREST, CHECK, and CBEST-accredited penetration testing and red teaming services from London, serving the UK's largest enterprises and regulated organisations.
MDSec
Elite UK offensive security consultancy specialising in CBEST/STAR/TIBER red teaming, advanced adversary simulation, and CREST-accredited penetration testing for FTSE 100 clients.
Trustwave
Global managed security provider with the elite SpiderLabs penetration testing team and deep PCI DSS compliance expertise.
Secarma
Manchester-based independent cybersecurity consultancy with over 20 years of experience delivering CREST and CHECK-accredited penetration testing, red teaming, and compliance certification services.
Cyberis
CREST and CHECK-accredited UK penetration testing consultancy with CBEST approval, specialising in infrastructure, application, and simulated attack assessments across the public and private sectors.
Aristi
CHECK and CREST-accredited Birmingham-based cyber security consultancy with over 15 years of experience delivering penetration testing, red teaming, and OT security assessments for government and private sector clients.
Financial Services Pen Testing FAQs
What pen testing do financial regulators require?+
Requirements vary by jurisdiction. PCI DSS mandates annual pen testing. DORA requires threat-led pen testing every three years for significant entities. National regulators may impose additional requirements.
How often should banks perform pen testing?+
Major banks typically test continuously throughout the year, with annual comprehensive assessments and quarterly focused tests on critical applications and infrastructure changes.
What is TIBER-EU and do we need it?+
TIBER-EU is a framework for threat intelligence-based ethical red teaming of financial entities. It is required under DORA for significant financial entities and recommended by several national regulators.