Client
A multinational financial services company handling millions of transactions daily, managing sensitive customer data, and operating within strict regulatory frameworks such as PCI DSS, GDPR, and ISO 27001.
Challenge
The client faced increasing cyber threats, including potential data breaches, insider threats, and sophisticated cyberattacks targeting their financial infrastructure. While traditional security measures were in place, they lacked continuous validation of their defenses against real-world attack scenarios. Key challenges included:
- Identifying security gaps by uncovering vulnerabilities across web applications, networks, and cloud infrastructure before cybercriminals could exploit them
- Ensuring regulatory compliance by meeting the rigorous security testing requirements of financial industry regulations such as PCI DSS, GDPR, and ISO 27001
- Mitigating evolving cyber threats by protecting against zero-day exploits, ransomware attacks, and emerging cyber threats targeting financial institutions
- Enhancing incident response readiness by validating the effectiveness of security monitoring, detection, and response strategies to reduce attack dwell time
Solution
The financial services company engaged COE Security to implement Penetration Testing as a Service, a proactive approach to continuous security testing, vulnerability assessment, and attack simulation.
Phase 1: Comprehensive Security Assessment
- Conducted full-spectrum penetration testing across web applications, internal and external networks, APIs, and cloud environments
- Simulated real-world attack scenarios, including phishing campaigns and social engineering tests, to evaluate human and technical security weaknesses
- Provided a prioritized risk assessment detailing high-impact vulnerabilities and potential exploitation paths
Phase 2: Continuous Testing and Threat Simulation
- Established a recurring penetration testing schedule to continuously assess security controls and detect new vulnerabilities
- Deployed automated security testing tools alongside manual ethical hacking techniques to uncover complex security flaws
- Simulated sophisticated cyberattacks, including advanced persistent threats and ransomware simulations, to test defense mechanisms
Phase 3: Remediation and Security Hardening
- Delivered actionable insights with step-by-step remediation guidance to mitigate identified vulnerabilities
- Assisted in implementing security patches, access control enhancements, and configuration hardening to reduce attack surfaces
- Provided real-time dashboards and reporting for security teams and executives to track risk reduction over time
Phase 4: Compliance and Security Training
- Ensured alignment with industry standards, including PCI DSS penetration testing requirements and ISO 27001 security controls
- Conducted red team versus blue team exercises to enhance the client’s incident detection and response capabilities
- Provided security awareness training for employees to recognize and prevent phishing and social engineering attacks
Results
With COE Security’s Penetration Testing as a Service, the financial services company achieved:
- Early threat detection by identifying and remediating critical vulnerabilities before they could be exploited by malicious actors
- Regulatory compliance assurance by meeting security testing requirements for PCI DSS, GDPR, and ISO 27001, reducing compliance risks
- Reduced attack surface by strengthening security posture through continuous testing and proactive remediation of emerging threats
- Enhanced incident response by improving the organization’s ability to detect, contain, and mitigate security incidents through real-world attack simulations
Client Testimonial
COE Security’s Penetration Testing as a Service has transformed our cybersecurity approach. Their continuous security testing and attack simulations have given us the confidence to protect our financial assets, ensure regulatory compliance, and stay ahead of evolving cyber threats.