Financial Services Cyber Security
DORA deadlines are closing in, PCI DSS v4.0 has made self-assessment harder, and the FCA expects evidence of operational resilience testing. Our CREST-accredited consultants deliver the penetration testing, red teaming, and compliance evidence financial institutions need to satisfy regulators, protect customer assets, and maintain market confidence.
Regulatory compliance that protects your licence.
Full-spectrum DORA, PCI DSS v4.0, and FCA PS21/3 coverage from a single CREST-accredited provider. We deliver the penetration testing, red teaming, compliance assessments, and 24/7 SOC monitoring financial institutions need to satisfy every regulator in one engagement.
Book a Free Scoping CallPrecursor Security delivers CREST-accredited cyber security services for banks, insurers, payment processors, and fintech companies across the United Kingdom. Our services include DORA compliance gap analysis, PCI DSS v4.0 compliance testing, threat-led red team operations, and 24/7 SOC monitoring with financial-sector-specific detection playbooks. Fintech security packages start from £8,000/year.
Financial Services Risk Profile
The average cost of a data breach in financial services. Regulatory fines, customer remediation, and reputational damage compound the direct incident cost.
Of financial institutions are targeted by cyber attacks annually. State-sponsored and financially motivated threat actors prioritise the sector above all others.
Average days to identify and contain a breach in financial services. Adversaries move laterally through trading systems, treasury, and customer data stores undetected.
Financial Sector Threat Landscape
Financial institutions face persistent, highly motivated threat actors with the resources to exploit complex attack surfaces across digital banking, trading platforms, and payment infrastructure.
Regulatory Enforcement Pressure
DORA, PCI DSS v4.0, FCA PS21/3 operational resilience rules, and UK GDPR create overlapping compliance obligations. Non-compliance risks significant fines, licence revocation, and enforcement action from multiple regulators simultaneously.
Advanced Persistent Threats
State-sponsored and financially motivated APT groups target banks, insurers, and fintech platforms with custom malware, supply chain compromises, and zero-day exploitation. Financial services faces the highest concentration of nation-state threat actors of any sector.
Third-Party & API Risk
Open Banking and PSD2 have dramatically expanded the API attack surface. Third-party integrations, fintechs, and aggregators introduce risks that traditional perimeter defences cannot address.
Payment Fraud & Card Data Theft
Card-not-present fraud, Magecart attacks, and payment gateway vulnerabilities expose cardholder data. PCI DSS compliance alone does not guarantee security: active testing is essential.
Credential Stuffing & Account Takeover
Billions of leaked credentials fuel automated account takeover attacks against online banking, wealth management, and insurance portals. Losses from credential stuffing cost institutions millions in fraud and remediation annually.
Services Mapped to Financial Regulation
PCI DSS Assessment
PCI DSS v4.0 compliance testing for merchants, payment processors, and acquirers. Covers penetration testing and segmentation testing requirements.
Cyber Essentials Plus
Achieve baseline technical certification required by many financial regulators and procurement frameworks.
NCSC IT Health Check
Infrastructure health check for PSN-connected financial systems and critical national infrastructure designations.
Internal Network Penetration Testing
Simulate insider threats and lateral movement across segmented banking networks, trading desks, and treasury systems.
Web Application Testing
Test digital banking platforms, customer portals, and investment dashboards for OWASP and financial-sector-specific vulnerabilities.
Managed Detection & Response
24/7 MDR with risk-prioritised alerting across infrastructure subject to PCI DSS, DORA, and FCA operational resilience requirements.
Managed Detection & Response
24/7 SOC monitoring with financial-sector-specific detection playbooks covering fraud, lateral movement, and data exfiltration.
Engagement Workflow
From regulatory gap analysis to continuous monitoring. One provider, every framework.
Regulatory Gap Analysis
We map your current security posture against DORA, PCI DSS v4.0, FCA PS21/3, and UK GDPR obligations. The gap analysis identifies which controls are in place, which need remediation, and the fastest route to demonstrable compliance across all applicable frameworks.
CREST-Accredited Testing
Penetration testing and red team operations delivered by a CREST-accredited provider. Testing is scoped to satisfy specific regulatory requirements including PCI DSS Req 11.3/11.4, DORA Article 26, and FCA operational resilience scenarios.
Compliance Evidence & Reporting
Deliverables formatted as regulatory evidence: PCI DSS reports, DORA ICT risk management documentation, FCA operational resilience test results, and threat-led penetration test reports. Every report is structured for auditor and regulator consumption.
Continuous Monitoring
24/7 SOC monitoring with financial-sector-specific detection playbooks, quarterly vulnerability management, and annual re-testing cycles. Compliance is maintained continuously, not just at audit time. Findings feed directly into your next regulatory submission.
CREST-Accredited Financial Services Security
CREST accreditation is the baseline for FCA-regulated penetration testing, threat-led assessments, and PCI DSS compliance testing. Our reports are accepted by the FCA, PRA, Bank of England, and Big Four auditors.
What your engagement delivers
Fixed-price engagements from £8,000/year. No hidden costs.
Accepted for compliance with
Recognised by the FCA, PRA, Bank of England, and Big Four audit firms.
Beyond Compliance.
Continuous Monitoring.
Regulatory compliance is annual but financial threats are constant. We feed your assessment findings directly into our 24/7 Managed SOC, building custom detection rules for fraud, lateral movement across trading systems, and sector-specific ransomware campaigns. One provider for compliance and continuous protection.
Explore 24/7 SOC Monitoring24/7 Threat Hunting
Continuous monitoring of financial infrastructure, endpoints, and trading systems.
Managed Detection & Response
Financial-sector detection playbooks for fraud, insider threats, and APT activity.
Incident Response
Immediate containment, forensic investigation, and regulatory breach notification.
SOC as a Service
Dedicated security operations centre with PCI DSS and DORA compliance reporting.
Secure your financial operations today.
Talk to a financial services security specialist about PCI DSS, DORA compliance, or adversary simulation. Book a free 30-minute scoping call and receive a fixed-price proposal within 48 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about financial services cyber security, regulatory compliance, and penetration testing.
Financial services cyber security costs vary significantly by organisation size and regulatory scope. Fintech startups and small financial advisers implementing Cyber Essentials Plus and annual penetration testing typically cost £8,000-£15,000/year. Mid-sized payment processors, insurers, or wealth managers with PCI DSS compliance, quarterly testing, and vulnerability management typically cost £30,000-£60,000 annually. Banks, large insurers, and systemically important institutions with 24/7 SOC monitoring, CBEST/TLPT programmes, incident response retainer, and continuous assurance typically cost £100,000-£300,000+ annually.
Yes. Precursor Security provides PCI DSS v4.0 compliance testing including the penetration testing and segmentation testing required by requirements 11.3 and 11.4. We scope assessments for merchants, payment processors, and service providers across all relevant SAQ types.
Yes. Our red team operations are delivered by a CREST-accredited provider with experience in threat-led penetration testing frameworks including TIBER-EU and DORA Article 26 TLPT. We work within the regulatory framework set by the Bank of England, FCA, and PRA.
FCA regulation creates security obligations, but compliance teams cannot fulfil all requirements independently. PCI DSS and DORA explicitly require independent penetration testing by qualified external assessors. Threat-led penetration testing must be delivered by a CREST-accredited provider. External testing provides the independent assurance auditors and regulators require.
The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) is an EU regulation that applies to financial entities and their ICT service providers. While UK-based firms are not directly subject to DORA, those providing services to EU financial entities must comply. The FCA has also indicated alignment with DORA principles.
Vulnerability scanning is an automated process that identifies known weaknesses. Penetration testing is a manual, expert-led assessment that chains vulnerabilities together to demonstrate real-world impact, including lateral movement, privilege escalation, and data exfiltration.
Yes. Small fintechs face the same threats as large institutions while often having fewer resources. Attackers specifically target fintechs knowing they hold valuable financial data with potentially weaker security. FCA expectations apply regardless of size. A single breach can destroy a fintech's reputation and customer trust. Fintech security packages start from £8,000/year.