Industry
Financial Services - Community Bank
Challenge
This long-standing SBS client, with more than 10 years of partnership, engaged the team to validate its defenses, uncover lingering vulnerabilities, and strengthen internal controls.
Results
The engagement uncovered and helped remediate critical and high-priority vulnerabilities, while providing a collaborative, hands-on experience that reinforced the client’s trust in SBS as a cybersecurity partner.
Services
External Penetration Test, Internal Vulnerability Assessment
The Challenge
Validating Security and Uncovering Hidden Risks
This long-term banking client, with more than 10 years of partnership with SBS, wanted to assess their security posture more deeply and ensure that no vulnerabilities had been overlooked. Even with strong internal security practices, leadership aimed to uncover lingering risks, verify recent upgrades, and receive clear, actionable guidance to maintain confidence in their cybersecurity strategy.
The Solution
Targeted Assessments with Hands-On Client Guidance
SBS conducted a comprehensive external penetration test (EPT) and internal vulnerability assessment (IVA), including network mapping, vulnerability scanning, exploitation attempts, and real-world attack simulations.
The engagement emphasized collaboration: the SBS engineer reviewed reports with the client in real time, showing exactly where vulnerabilities existed, explaining remediation steps, and scheduling scans around recent server upgrades. This approach ensured the client could quickly understand and act on findings while maintaining operational continuity.
"SBS did an absolutely fantastic job, and I really enjoyed working with them. They explained things really well during our meeting when we went over everything."
— IT Officer
The Results
Actionable Insights, Immediate Remediation, and Trusted Partnership
The assessment identified three critical vulnerabilities and eight high vulnerabilities, including an outdated Microsoft SQL Server patch that had been lingering since 2024. The client was able to immediately remediate several issues, strengthening internal controls and reducing exposure to potential threats.
The bank emphasized SBS’s clear and well-structured reports as a major benefit. External penetration test results followed the Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES), detailing each stage of testing and the identified vulnerabilities. Internal assessments included executive summaries and dashboards, allowing the client to easily locate and prioritize critical findings and track remediation progress.
Equally important was the collaborative client experience. SBS engineers guided the client through identified vulnerabilities, provided actionable remediation steps, and remained accessible for questions even after the engagement was complete. This personalized approach reinforced trust and confidence, highlighting SBS not just as a service provider but as a long-term partner invested in the client’s cybersecurity success.
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