Network Penetration Testing for Financial Services in Denver

 

Financial institutions in Denver and across Colorado are prime targets for cybercriminals looking to access payment data, online banking portals, trading systems, and confidential client information. Attacks such as ransomware, phishing, account takeover attempts, malware infections, and database exploits are routinely used to compromise banks, credit unions, investment firms, fintechs, and insurance providers.

The financial impact is significant. In 2021, the median reported cost of a data breach reached $4.24M per incident, and unreported events mean the real number is likely higher. For regulated financial services organizations, a breach also brings regulatory scrutiny, reputational damage, and potential loss of client trust.

To stay ahead of these threats, Denver financial institutions need to regularly test, validate, and improve their cybersecurity controls—not just rely on compliance checklists or legacy defenses.

 

What Is Network Penetration Testing?

 

Network penetration testing (net-pen testing) is a controlled, ethical hacking exercise where security professionals simulate real-world cyberattacks against your internal and external networks. The goal is simple: find and safely exploit vulnerabilities before criminals do.

For financial services organizations, this typically includes testing:

• Online and mobile banking platforms
• Trading and investment systems
• Core banking and payment processing networks
• VPNs, remote access, and third-party connections
• Branch office and data center infrastructure

The results help leadership and risk teams to:

• Prioritize and remediate critical vulnerabilities
• Validate the effectiveness of firewalls, segmentation, and monitoring
• Support regulatory and compliance obligations (e.g., GLBA, FFIEC, PCI DSS, SOC exams)
• Provide evidence of a proactive IT security assessment program to auditors, boards, and regulators

 

Colorado Financial Services Penetration Testing Experience

 

OCD Tech provides network penetration testing for financial services companies in Denver and across Colorado, from community banks and credit unions to regional investment firms and fast-growing fintechs.

Our team combines hands-on penetration testing with deep experience in IT risk, regulatory expectations, and financial-sector cybersecurity frameworks. We design each engagement around your specific environment—whether you operate locally in Denver, across the Front Range, or nationally from a Denver headquarters.

The result is not just a list of technical issues. You receive a clear, prioritized remediation plan that explains:

• What we exploited and how
• What an attacker could realistically achieve (data theft, wire fraud, account takeover, lateral movement into critical systems)
• How to close the gaps with specific, practical recommendations

 

Our Network Penetration Testing Methodology

 

OCD Tech follows a structured, repeatable methodology aligned with recognized penetration testing and red team practices. In plain language, we test how far a determined attacker could get in your environment, and how quickly your defenses react.

Our approach typically includes:

• Passive Reconnaissance – Quietly gathering information about your public-facing infrastructure, domains, and exposures without touching your systems directly.
• Active Reconnaissance – Safely scanning and probing your networks and applications to identify open ports, services, and potential weaknesses.
• Social Engineering – When in scope, testing how staff respond to realistic phishing or pretexting attempts, focusing on accounts with access to financial systems and sensitive data.
• Exploitation – Attempting to exploit identified vulnerabilities to gain initial access to your network or critical applications.
• Post-Exploitation – Assessing what an intruder could do after gaining access, including viewing or moving sensitive financial records.
• Privilege Escalation – Attempting to move from a standard user to administrator or domain-level control to simulate worst-case compromise.
• Lateral Movement – Testing how easily an attacker can move between systems—for example, from a workstation to core banking, trading platforms, or payment systems.
• Maintain Access – Demonstrating how attackers might establish persistence to survive password resets, system reboots, or basic cleanup.
• Covering Tracks – Evaluating logging and monitoring by simulating efforts to hide activity, helping you measure Blue Team detection capabilities.
• Reporting – Delivering a formal report and executive summary that is understandable to non-technical leadership, risk committees, and regulators.

 

National Reach, Local Denver Focus

 

Although OCD Tech has a strong presence in the Denver and Colorado financial services community, we also support clients nationwide. Our network penetration testing services are available in Boston (MA), New York City (NY), Washington DC, Philadelphia (PA), Dallas (TX), Los Angeles (CA), Chicago (IL), and Baltimore (MD).

For Denver-based financial institutions with branches or operations in multiple states, this allows for a consistent security assessment approach across all locations.

 

Contact Our Denver Network Penetration Testing Consultants

 

OCD Tech provides network penetration testing and cybersecurity consulting to financial services organizations in Denver and throughout Colorado. If you would like to discuss a penetration test for your bank, credit union, investment firm, fintech, or other financial institution, complete the form below and a team member will follow up with you shortly.