Skip to content
info@rootsektor.de
24/7 emergency: +49 2932 465265-0 Request a pentest quote Report an emergency
Emergency

Contact

Phone & 24/7 emergency hotline+49 2932 465265-0 Emailinfo@rootsektor.de

Mon–Fri 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. CET/CEST · outside business hours: 24/7 emergency hotline

Request a pentest quote Report an emergency

Industries

DORA Penetration Testing for Financial Services

Resilience you can prove.

Online banking platforms, banking apps, and open interfaces attract the attention of professional attackers – and of supervisory authorities. Our DORA penetration testing for financial services checks whether your platforms withstand realistic attacks and delivers solid evidence for your digital operational resilience testing program. For banks, insurers, payment service providers, fintechs, and asset managers.

  • Fixed price after scoping
  • Free retest
  • Quote within 24 hours
Request a pentest quote Schedule a consultation

Challenges

Challenges for financial service providers

Account opening, loan applications, securities orders, and insurance claims are now handled digitally. Every new feature and every interface expands the attack surface – a single gap in authentication or permissions can be enough to expose customer data or enable fraud.

  • Challenge 1

    High release velocity

    Digital channels gain new features, partner integrations, and product variants at short intervals. Every change can shift permissions, data flows, or configurations – an independent test shows whether your controls still work after the release.

  • Challenge 2

    Complex interfaces

    Behind a banking app are numerous interfaces – to the core banking system, to payment and identity services, and to third-party providers under PSD2. If an API does not check on every call whether the requested account belongs to the logged-in customer, simply changing an account ID can be enough to retrieve another customer’s transactions.

  • Challenge 3

    Fraud via business logic

    A scanner finds outdated software, but not flawed workflows – and that is exactly where fraud opportunities arise: transfers whose recipient or amount can still be changed after approval, limits that can be bypassed, approval processes that can be circumvented, or duplicate bookings caused by parallel requests.

Can your digital channels withstand a real attack?

Tell us about your critical platforms, interfaces, and testing requirements. We’ll propose a scope that takes risk and proportionality into account in line with DORA.

Schedule a consultation

Benefits

Benefits of penetration testing for financial service providers

Automated scans produce long lists but little context – that is not enough for the cybersecurity of banks and insurers. In a manual penetration test, we chain findings together the way an attacker would – from initial access all the way to customer data or payment functions. This shows you which gaps to close first.

  • Verified findings instead of false positives

    We test online banking, APIs, apps, cloud, and infrastructure manually. We back up every finding with traceable evidence and filter out the false positives of automated tools.

  • Protect customer data and transactions

    We show whether other customers’ account balances, transactions, ID data, or payment orders can be retrieved or manipulated – for example, via interfaces, exports, or session management.

  • Prevent fraud and disruptions

    Fix gaps in limits, approvals, and transaction workflows before fraudsters discover them or an incident takes your digital channels offline.

  • Evidence for supervisors and auditors

    The report and test certificate document scope, methodology, and results – for your DORA testing program, your internal audit function, and your business partners.

Services

Services for financial service providers

From the banking app to attack simulation: we put together the tests that cover your critical or important functions.

  • Web Applications & Online Banking

    Online banking, self-service areas, digital application journeys, and advisor front ends – including roles, approvals, and session management.

  • API Penetration Testing

    PSD2 interfaces for account information and payment initiation services, payment APIs, and third-party integrations.

  • Mobile Apps (iOS & Android)

    Banking, trading, and TAN (transaction authentication number) apps according to OWASP MASVS – from secure data storage to tamper protection.

  • Network & Infrastructure

    Data center, branch network, and remote access – with a focus on segmentation, hardening, and lateral movement within the network.

  • Cloud Penetration Testing

    Platforms in AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud – from identities and permissions to exposed services.

  • Red Teaming & APT Simulation

    Multi-stage, scenario-based attacks modeled on TIBER-EU that also test your team’s detection and response.

Compliance

Regulations and standards in the financial sector

A penetration test provides technical evidence for regulatory and contractual requirements. It does not replace an examination by supervisors, internal audit, or auditors, but it gives them a solid basis.

  • Regulation (EU) 2022/2554

    DORA

    Since January 17, 2025, the Digital Operational Resilience Act has applied to credit institutions, insurers, payment and e-money institutions, investment firms, fund management companies, crypto-asset service providers, and other financial entities. In Germany, BaFin (Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority) supervises implementation.

    • Penetration tests as an explicitly named type of test (Art. 25)
    • At least annual testing of the ICT systems that support critical or important functions (Art. 24)
    • Prioritized remediation and validation of all findings

  • Threat-led testing

    TLPT & TIBER-EU

    Financial entities that supervisors select based on their significance and ICT risk profile must carry out threat-led penetration testing at least every three years (Art. 26). It simulates real attackers on production systems and is based on the TIBER-EU framework.

    • Strictly regulated process with threat intelligence and a red team phase
    • Special requirements for testers (Art. 27)
    • Targeted preparation through preliminary penetration tests

  • Card payments

    PCI DSS 4.0.1

    Anyone who stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data must comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. Requirement 11.4 calls for internal and external penetration tests at least once every twelve months and after significant changes.

    • Testing of the entire perimeter of the cardholder data environment (CDE)
    • Segmentation tests – at least every six months for service providers
    • Retesting of remediated vulnerabilities

How our DORA penetration testing works

Structured, documented, and aligned with your DORA testing program – using the same proven methodology we apply across all industries.

Initial consultation and objectives

We clarify which critical or important functions are affected and which evidence you need – for supervisors, internal audit, or customers.

Scoping and test plan

We jointly define systems, roles, test accounts, environments, and testing periods. We clarify approvals from the third-party providers involved in advance.

Fixed-price quote within 24 hours

Within 24 hours of scoping (on business days), you receive a fixed-price quote with no hidden costs.

Manual testing

We test according to recognized standards such as the OWASP Testing Guide and PTES – without real customer transactions. We report critical vulnerabilities immediately – during the test, by phone or email to the agreed contact person.

Report for the board, IT, and auditors

An executive summary, traceable technical evidence, CVSS ratings, and concrete remediation recommendations. If you wish, we present the results in a final debrief.

Retest and test certificate

The free retest confirms that your fixes are effective. You also receive a test certificate to present to customers, partners, and auditors.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about penetration testing for financial services

Didn’t find your question? Call us at +49 2932 465265-0 or email info@rootsektor.de.

How often do financial entities have to test under DORA?

DORA requires all ICT systems and applications that support critical or important functions to be appropriately tested at least once a year; microenterprises are exempt from this. Which tests are appropriate – from vulnerability scans and source code reviews to penetration tests – depends on risk and proportionality. Additional tests are advisable after major releases, migrations, or new interfaces.

Is our institution required to undergo TLPT?

That is decided by the competent authority based on criteria such as systemic importance and ICT risk profile. A TLPT follows a strictly regulated process with threat intelligence, a covert red team test, and a formal closure phase. We support you with your preparation, for example with preliminary penetration tests, and offer institutions without a TLPT obligation red teaming exercises modeled on TIBER-EU.

Do you test PSD2 interfaces and third-party integrations?

Yes. For interfaces used by account information and payment initiation services, we pay particular attention to strong customer authentication, consent management, and the issuing of access tokens. We also test connections to payment service providers, identity providers, and core banking systems. We only include systems owned by third parties with their consent – we obtain the necessary approvals together with you during scoping.

Can you test different roles and customer types?

Yes. For this, you set up separate test accounts for each role – for example, for retail and corporate customers, authorized representatives, advisors, and administrators. We then check whether someone can view other customers’ accounts or use the functions of a higher role, whether limits can be bypassed, or whether four-eyes approvals can be circumvented.

We’re a fintech or an ICT service provider for banks. Why do we need test evidence?

DORA requires financial entities to manage the risks posed by their ICT third-party service providers contractually and on an ongoing basis. If you serve banks, insurers, or payment service providers, you will therefore regularly be asked for current test results. With our test certificate, you can prove that the test took place without handing over the full technical report.

Do you also test in the production environment?

We agree on this individually. Many tests can be performed in a production-like test environment. Where testing in production is necessary, we work with dedicated test accounts, fixed time windows, and without real customer transactions. We inform your security operations center (SOC) in advance – or deliberately don’t, if you want to test its detection capabilities as well.

Do you also support us during an ICT incident?

Yes. In the event of a security incident, our Incident Response & Forensics team helps remotely and on-site – with containment, forensic investigation, and recovery. Under DORA, financial entities must report major ICT-related incidents to the competent supervisory authority in several stages – in Germany, usually BaFin; we provide the technical facts for this. Outside business hours, you can reach us via our 24/7 emergency hotline at +49 2932 465265-0.

Talk to us about your platforms

Whether it’s online banking, a payment API, or your DORA testing program: tell us about your requirements. For your penetration test, you receive a fixed-price quote within 24 hours of scoping (on business days).

Fields marked with * are required.

For questions or a callback

We will get in touch and, if you wish, sign the non-disclosure agreement before our first conversation – including on the basis of your own template.

We use your information solely to process your request. For more information, see our privacy policy. Please do not send passwords or login credentials through this form.