Financial Services

Built for regulated environments. Where IT, security, and compliance have to work together.

Financial institutions face the strictest regulatory requirements of any sector, and also face the most determined attackers. We help banks, insurers, and fintechs build the IT foundations and security programmes, adopt AI within regulatory boundaries, and make PCI DSS, DORA, and FCA compliance achievable and sustainable.

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The Financial Threat Landscape

Regulated, targeted, and under constant pressure

Financial institutions face three compounding pressures: digital-first competitors moving faster with lower cost bases, a tightening regulatory environment with DORA, GDPR, and the AI Act demanding more of your compliance function, and customers who expect flawless digital experiences. Inaction on any one of these accelerates the others. Legacy infrastructure widens the gap every year it goes unaddressed, and each compliance gap becomes harder and more expensive to close.

78 %

of financial services organisations were hit by ransomware in 2025

Ransomware rates in financial services have climbed significantly year on year. Data encryption and exfiltration are deployed simultaneously to maximise leverage on highly regulated institutions. (Sophos State of Ransomware 2025)

65 %

of data breaches involve external threat actors, with financial services among the most persistently targeted sectors

External attackers — organised crime groups, nation-state actors, and opportunistic hackers — drive the large majority of financial sector breaches through credential theft, phishing, and supply-chain compromise. (Verizon DBIR 2024)

50 %

of financial services firms had not achieved full DORA compliance by the January 2025 enforcement date

ICT risk management and resilience testing were among the least-implemented pillars, with most firms expecting to complete their programmes through 2025 and 2026. (Deloitte DORA European Survey 2025)

88 %

of web application attacks use stolen or compromised credentials — the primary attack vector across financial services

Credential theft feeds account takeover, fraudulent transfers, and regulatory breach reports. Financial services organisations face a higher-than-average concentration of credential-targeting attacks due to the value of access they provide. (Verizon DBIR 2025)

Statistics sourced from the Sophos State of Ransomware 2024, Verizon DBIR 2024, and Deloitte DORA Readiness 2024.

What We Do

Compliance and security services tuned to financial regulation

Whether you need your IT environment brought under control, your security posture assessed and hardened, or your compliance obligations met across PCI DSS, DORA, FCA, ISO 27001, and GDPR, we cover the full spectrum, in the right order.

DORA Readiness

Navigate the EU Digital Operational Resilience Act requirements: ICT risk management, incident reporting, third-party risk, and TLPT readiness. We help you understand your TLPT obligations, prepare the required documentation, and coordinate with accredited testers where the test itself must be performed. Built for banks, insurers, and investment firms. ISO 27001 certification provides a recognised foundation for many DORA ICT risk controls, and we can run both programmes in parallel. You get a DORA controls mapping, a gap remediation plan, and a regulator-ready evidence pack.

FCA & Regulatory Readiness

Align your technology and security governance with FCA requirements. From SYSC obligations to operational resilience, we help firms demonstrate control to regulators. You get a documented obligations mapping and evidence of operational resilience ready for FCA review.

PCI DSS Readiness & Compliance

PCI DSS gap analysis, remediation support, and readiness reviews for payment card environments, preparing you for your QSA assessment or Self-Assessment Questionnaire. Applicable across all SAQ types. You leave with a gap assessment report, a remediation plan, and a completed SAQ or QSA readiness package.

ISO 27001 & Information Security Management

We build ISO 27001-conformant information security management systems for financial institutions, mapping controls across DORA, FCA, and NIS2 obligations in a single consolidated framework. You get a fully documented ISMS, controls mapped across your regulatory obligations, and a single evidence base structured to meet what your certification body expects.

Third-Party & Supply Chain Risk

Map, assess, and continuously monitor your vendor ecosystem. Identify concentration risk, contractual gaps, and technical vulnerabilities before regulators do. You get a vendor risk register, concentration risk analysis, and a supplier assurance programme your compliance team can own.

Penetration Testing

We scope and manage penetration testing engagements for banking applications, trading platforms, APIs, and internal networks, working with trusted specialist testing partners. You get independent, expert testing with full oversight and clear, actionable findings.

Cloud Security & Architecture

Secure cloud migration and architecture review for financial workloads, meeting FCA cloud guidance, data residency requirements, and multi-cloud resilience standards. You get a cloud architecture review with FCA-aligned recommendations and implemented security controls.

IT Strategy, Infrastructure & Service Desk

ITIL v4-aligned managed IT and service desk for financial services firms that need reliable infrastructure and expert IT leadership without the overhead of a full internal team. We cover M365, cloud infrastructure, network, and end-user support with documented SLAs. You get a documented IT roadmap, an ITIL v4-aligned service desk with defined SLAs, and a managed infrastructure baseline your teams can rely on.

AI Adoption & Governance for Financial Services

We identify, evaluate, and govern AI tools for financial operations, client communications, and back-office automation, ensuring deployment aligns with FCA expectations, data protection obligations, and your internal risk appetite. Strategy and governance led, not software development. You get a governed AI adoption plan, a regulatory compliance mapping, and a governance framework ready for FCA scrutiny.

Why Cyvra

Financial compliance expertise that stands up to scrutiny

Regulators don't accept good intentions. They want documented evidence of control, tested processes, and clear governance. We build security programmes for financial institutions designed from day one to withstand a regulatory inspection, not retrofitted to pass one. We know what the FCA, ECB, and PCI SSC look for because we've supported firms through regulatory and certification audits.

Certifications held across our team include PCI DSS, ISO 27001, CISSP and CISM

Direct experience supporting banks, insurers, and fintechs through regulatory assessments

Vendor-neutral, we don't sell products, so our recommendations are always in your interest

Deep understanding of DORA, FCA SYSC, and Basel operational risk frameworks

Clear, board-ready reporting that translates technical risk into business language

From our Insights

Guide

How to conduct a DORA gap analysis: a step-by-step framework for FinTechs

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Regulation

DORA is live: the third-party risk gap most financial firms still have

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Regulation

NIS2 is in force: what your organisation needs to have in place now

Read article →

Risk management

What your cyber insurer expects before paying a claim

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Fraud

Business email compromise: the fraud hiding in your inbox

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AI threats

Deepfakes and identity fraud: how AI voice and video manipulation targets businesses

Read article →

Frequently asked questions

Cybersecurity and compliance in financial services

When does DORA apply to our firm?

DORA is an EU regulation, so it applies directly to firms operating in the EU rather than UK-only entities, though UK groups with EU subsidiaries or that provide critical ICT services into the EU can still be in scope. UK-regulated firms instead work to the FCA and PRA's operational resilience rules, which cover similar ground: mapping important business services, setting impact tolerances and testing third-party ICT resilience. We run a gap analysis against whichever framework applies and build a remediation plan from it.

Is PCI DSS mandatory if we use a third-party payment processor?

Using a payment service provider reduces your scope but doesn't remove it. You remain responsible for the part of the cardholder data environment you control, such as the website or checkout flow that card data passes through. Most firms in this position fall under SAQ A or SAQ A-EP. We determine which SAQ type applies and manage the full self-assessment.

How does ISO 27001 relate to FCA and PRA expectations?

ISO 27001 isn't a regulatory requirement, but a certified ISMS covers most of the controls the FCA and PRA expect under their operational resilience and Consumer Duty frameworks. Firms that already hold ISO 27001 typically need less additional work to satisfy a supervisory review. We build both tracks in parallel so evidence isn't collected twice.

What does the FCA expect from our third-party and outsourcing risk management?

The FCA expects an up-to-date supplier risk register, outsourcing arrangements that meet SYSC 8 requirements including audit rights and exit plans, and periodic reassessment of critical ICT providers. Concentration risk with a small number of cloud or clearing providers draws specific attention during supervisory reviews. We map your supply chain and identify where contractual coverage falls short.

How long does a DORA or ISO 27001 project take for a financial firm?

A focused gap analysis with a remediation plan typically takes 6 to 10 weeks to deliver. A full ISO 27001 certification project usually takes 6 to 12 months for most financial firms, depending on the starting position and the size of the organisation. Both tracks can run in parallel to reuse overlapping documentation and audit evidence.

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Build a compliance programme that holds up under scrutiny

Talk to us about PCI DSS, DORA, or your broader security programme. We'll tell you where you stand and what needs to change.

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