Network Penetration Testing for Financial Services in Des Moines, IA

 

Financial institutions in Des Moines and across Iowa—including banks, credit unions, insurance carriers, payment processors, and wealth management firms—are prime targets for cybercriminals. Attackers use methods such as phishing, malware, password attacks, SQL injection, and ransomware to reach one objective: unauthorized access to sensitive financial data and customer accounts.

The financial impact is severe. In 2021, the median cost of a reported data breach reached $4.24 million per incident—and that figure represents only breaches that were publicly disclosed. For regulated financial services organizations subject to oversight by the Iowa Division of Banking, Iowa Insurance Division, FFIEC, GLBA, PCI DSS, and SOX, the true cost can be significantly higher once regulatory fines, legal fees, and reputational damage in the Des Moines market are factored in.

To stay ahead of these threats, regular, independent network penetration testing is no longer optional. It is an essential part of a modern IT security program, helping leadership verify that firewalls, VPNs, cloud configurations, and on‑premises systems are actually protecting the organization the way policies and audits claim they do.

Network penetration testing (net‑pen testing) is a controlled, ethical hacking exercise where security specialists simulate real‑world attacks on your IT infrastructure. For financial services organizations, this typically focuses on:

• Internal networks that support core banking, trading, claims processing, and policy administration systems
• External-facing systems such as online banking portals, customer portals, APIs, and payment gateways
• Remote access and branch connectivity across Des Moines, West Des Moines, and other Iowa locations

The outcome is a clear, prioritized view of vulnerabilities, with practical remediation steps that help you reduce the likelihood of account takeover, wire fraud, data theft, or operational disruption.

 

Network Penetration Testing Experience in Des Moines and Iowa

 

OCD Tech provides specialized network penetration testing services to financial services companies in Des Moines and throughout Iowa. Our consultants have extensive experience supporting:

• Banks and credit unions
• Insurance and reinsurance organizations
• Mortgage, lending, and servicing platforms
• Investment, advisory, and asset management firms
• Fintech and payment processing providers

We combine hands‑on ethical hacking expertise with deep knowledge of financial sector regulatory expectations. This allows us to perform testing that not only finds technical weaknesses, but also helps your organization demonstrate due diligence to auditors, examiners, and your board’s risk committee.

The result is a thorough security assessment that highlights where your defenses are strong, where they are weak, and what actions will most effectively reduce risk to customer data, transactions, and critical business operations.

 

Our Network Penetration Testing Methodology

 

OCD Tech follows a disciplined, repeatable penetration testing methodology tailored to financial services environments. While we use advanced tools, the process remains understandable for non‑technical stakeholders and fully documented for auditors and compliance teams.

Our typical network penetration test includes:

• Passive Reconnaissance – Quietly gathering information about your organization, systems, and public footprint without directly engaging your defenses.
• Active Reconnaissance – Safely scanning your network to identify open ports, exposed services, and misconfigurations in on‑premises and cloud environments.
• Social Engineering (where in scope) – Testing employee awareness through controlled phishing or pretexting scenarios to evaluate susceptibility to insider‑style threats.
• Exploitation – Attempting to safely exploit identified vulnerabilities to determine what an attacker could realistically achieve.
• Post‑Exploitation – Assessing how far an intruder could move within your environment once initial access is obtained.
• Privilege Escalation – Attempting to gain higher‑level access (for example, domain admin or core banking system privileges) in a controlled manner.
• Lateral Movement – Testing whether an attacker could pivot from one compromised system to others, including critical financial applications.
• Maintaining Access – Evaluating how persistent an attacker could remain inside the network without being detected.
• Covering Tracks – Demonstrating how log manipulation or gaps in monitoring could allow malicious activity to go unnoticed.
• Reporting – Delivering a clear, business‑focused report that includes:
  • Executive overview for leadership and the board
  • Technical details for IT and security teams
  • Risk ratings, regulatory impact, and remediation recommendations

This approach supports Red Team, Blue Team, and Purple Team style exercises where appropriate, helping your in‑house security team validate detection and response capabilities against realistic attack scenarios.

 

National Reach with Local Focus

 

While OCD Tech has a strong presence in Des Moines and across Iowa, we also serve financial services and other regulated organizations nationwide, including:

• Boston (MA)
• New York City (NY)
• Washington DC
• Philadelphia (PA)
• Dallas (TX)
• Los Angeles (CA)
• Chicago (IL)
• Baltimore (MD)

This combination of local Iowa market understanding and national financial sector experience allows us to bring proven best practices to Des Moines institutions without losing sight of regional realities and expectations.

 

Contact Our Iowa Network Penetration Testing Consultants

 

OCD Tech provides network penetration testing, IT security assessments, and cybersecurity consulting to financial services organizations in Des Moines and across Iowa. Whether you are preparing for an upcoming regulatory exam, responding to board‑level concerns, or simply want an honest, independent view of your security posture, we can help.

If you are interested in learning how we can assist your organization with a network penetration test or broader security assessment, please complete the form below. A member of our team will contact you to discuss scope, timelines, and how to align testing with your specific regulatory and business requirements.