Top Cybersecurity Companies For Banks And Credit Unions

Community banks and credit unions face the same attackers as the largest banks, with a fraction of the staff. Account takeover, wire and ACH fraud, business email compromise and ransomware all land on small IT teams that also have to satisfy examiners, auditors and the board. Attackers now use AI to clone executive voices, write flawless phishing emails and probe online banking platforms at scale, which raises the bar for every institution regardless of asset size.

The regulatory picture has also shifted. The FFIEC sunset its Cybersecurity Assessment Tool on August 31, 2025, and pointed institutions to the NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 and CISA’s Cybersecurity Performance Goals instead. The NCUA said it would keep its Automated Cybersecurity Evaluation Toolbox, ACET, available for credit unions and update it to align with NIST CSF 2.0 and the CISA goals. Many institutions now need help choosing a framework, mapping existing controls to it and showing examiners the result.

The ten cybersecurity companies for banks and credit unions below either serve financial institutions exclusively or run a dedicated financial institution practice. We looked at IT audit and assessment work, penetration testing, virtual CISO services, managed detection and response, and the software many institutions use to document their programs. For broader options, see our list of cybersecurity consulting firms.

Cybersecurity Companies For Banks And Credit Unions At A Glance

Company	Headquarters	Best For	Core Services
SBS CyberSecurity	Madison, USA	Community banks that want audits, testing, training and a GRC platform from one bank-focused firm	IT audit, penetration testing, vCISO, incident response planning, TRAC GRC platform, SBS Institute
Safe Systems (Navanta)	Alpharetta, USA	Community banks that want managed IT, security and compliance from one provider	Managed IT, cyberthreat protection, virtual ISO, risk management, security awareness training
DefenseStorm	Alpharetta, USA	Banks and credit unions that want MDR and governance tracking built for banking	MDR for banking, collaborative SOC, risk and governance, GRID Active data platform
CoNetrix	Lubbock, USA	Banks and credit unions that want IT audits, managed security and Tandem compliance software	IT audit, penetration testing, managed security, VISO consulting, Tandem software, Aspire hosting
TraceSecurity	Baton Rouge, USA	Institutions that need examiner-ready assessments and technical testing	IT security audit, risk assessment, penetration testing, social engineering, vCISO, TraceCSO software
Bedel Security	Greensburg, USA	Community banks and credit unions that need an experienced outsourced CISO	vCISO, CISO assessment, CISO mentoring, AI risk oversight program, CySPOT platform
Rivial Security	West Lafayette, USA	Banks and credit unions that want ACET and FedLine assessments plus quantified risk	IT audit, IT risk assessment, penetration testing, vCISO, CAT/ACET and FedLine assessments
Ncontracts	Nashville, USA	Institutions that want cybersecurity assessments tied to vendor, audit and compliance management	Cybersecurity assessment software, vendor management, risk management, audit and findings management
CSI	Paducah, USA	Banks that want core processing and managed cybersecurity from the same provider	Managed cybersecurity, managed IT, email protection, fraud prevention, core processing
Wolf & Company	Boston, USA	Banks and credit unions that want IT audit and cybersecurity from an accounting firm with a financial institution practice	IT audit, cybersecurity services, SOC reporting, PCI DSS, bank consulting

Best Cybersecurity Companies For Banks And Credit Unions For 2027

1. SBS CyberSecurity — Bank-Focused Audits, Testing And The TRAC Risk Platform

SBS CyberSecurity is based in Madison, South Dakota, and has spent about two decades focused on banks and credit unions. Its audits include IT audits, network security audits, ACH audits and NIST assessments. Consulting covers virtual CISO, cybersecurity advisory, a virtual chief AI officer service, business continuity planning and vendor risk management, and its testing team handles penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, social engineering, red and purple teaming, and cloud and AI security assessments.

Two things set SBS apart. Its TRAC platform helps institutions run risk assessments, governance and vendor management, with support for ACET, the CRI Profile, NIST, FDIC InTREx and Bank Secrecy Act risk, so the work maps to what examiners expect. The SBS Institute also trains bank staff through banking-specific certifications such as Banking Security Manager, Banking Cybersecurity Manager and Banking Ethical Hacker. That combination of outside testing, software and staff education suits community banks that want to raise their own team’s capability, not just hand everything to a vendor.

2. Safe Systems (Navanta) — Managed IT, Security And Compliance For Community Institutions Since 1993

Safe Systems was founded in Georgia in 1993 to provide technology, compliance and security services to community financial institutions. It is now part of Navanta, which combined Safe Systems with UFS, BankOnIT and Quest Analytics and lists its primary offices in Alpharetta, Georgia, Grafton, Wisconsin and Oklahoma City. Navanta says it serves more than 700 community financial institutions.

The appeal is a single partner for the work most community banks and credit unions struggle to staff. On the technology side, Navanta offers managed IT and cyberthreat protection. On the compliance side, its advisory group provides risk management, a virtual information security officer and security awareness training, which helps institutions that cannot justify a full-time ISO. Safe Systems has also published guidance for credit unions on moving beyond ACET, which reflects its long familiarity with examiner expectations. It is a good fit for smaller institutions that want one accountable team to run the network, harden it and document the program for the board and examiners.

3. DefenseStorm — Banking-Only MDR With Control Monitoring In One Platform

DefenseStorm builds security operations specifically for banks and credit unions, from its office in Alpharetta, Georgia. Its MDR for Banking service combines SIEM, a security operations center and endpoint detection and response, and its Collaborative SOC is staffed 24×7 by analysts who focus on banking. The GRID Active platform connects threat, risk and governance data so the same evidence supports both security operations and compliance reporting.

The governance side is what distinguishes DefenseStorm from a general MDR provider. Its risk and governance module monitors controls continuously and tracks adherence to policies and regulatory requirements, which helps when examiners ask how the institution knows its controls actually work. It can sit on top of existing EDR tools such as CrowdStrike, Carbon Black or Microsoft Defender, and it partners for vulnerability management, dark web monitoring, brand protection and awareness training. DefenseStorm has also published AI principles mapped to the NIST AI RMF and the CRI financial sector AI framework. It suits institutions that want around-the-clock monitoring without losing visibility into compliance.

4. CoNetrix — IT Audits, Managed Security And Tandem Compliance Software

CoNetrix, headquartered in Lubbock, Texas, specifically serves financial institutions with technology, security and compliance services. Its IT audit work covers GLBA-focused IT audits, information security governance audits, network security assessments, internal vulnerability assessments and FedLine security assessments. Its testing team handles external, internal, internet exposure and social engineering penetration tests, and its managed security service includes 24×7 SIEM and SOC monitoring, EDR, email protection, firewall management and MFA.

CoNetrix is also the company behind Tandem, the information security and compliance software used by many community banks and credit unions. Tandem modules cover risk assessment, policies, vendor management, business continuity, incident management, cybersecurity assessment, internet banking security and phishing training. Its Boost consulting service adds a virtual information security officer, risk assessments, policy work and audit and exam management. Because the same company can audit, test, monitor and provide the documentation platform, CoNetrix suits institutions that want fewer vendors, though some boards prefer to keep audit independent from managed services, so ask how CoNetrix separates the two.

5. TraceSecurity — Examiner-Ready Assessments From A Firm Built For Bank Compliance

TraceSecurity was founded in 2004 to help banks and credit unions meet federal information security and compliance requirements, and it is based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It now serves thousands of organizations across financial services, healthcare and other regulated sectors, but its roots and much of its client base remain in financial institutions. It reports delivering more than 40,000 examiner-approved reports.

Its service menu fits the annual cycle most community institutions follow. Audits and assessments include IT security audits, risk assessments, configuration reviews, vulnerability assessments, ransomware preparedness assessments and vCISO support. Technical testing covers penetration testing, onsite social engineering, phishing and vishing, red and purple team testing, and tabletop exercises. Its TraceCSO software, along with phishing and education tools, helps institutions keep the program running between engagements. TraceSecurity is a strong fit for banks and credit unions that want an independent firm whose deliverables are designed to hold up in front of examiners.

6. Bedel Security — vCISO Services Exclusively For Community Banks And Credit Unions

Bedel Security was founded in 2015 to provide outsourced virtual CISO services exclusively to community banks and credit unions across the United States, and it is based in Greensburg, Indiana. Its services are modular, so an institution can combine pieces to match its needs and budget, and they run on the firm’s own CySPOT platform for managing the security program.

Bedel is the most focused firm on this list: it does not sell managed IT or monitoring, it provides security leadership. Beyond full vCISO for community banks, it offers The CISO Assessment, an independent review of an information security program’s strengths and gaps, and CISO Mentor, which coaches internal security officers who are new to the role. Its AI risk management and oversight program helps boards set rules for AI tools before staff adopt them on their own. Bedel also publishes guides, a weekly newsletter and monthly webinars. It is ideal for institutions that already have IT support but lack someone with the experience to run the security program and speak to examiners and the board.

7. Rivial Security — ACET, FedLine And PCI Assessments With Quantified Risk Output

Rivial Security is based in West Lafayette, Indiana, and its services line up closely with what banks and credit unions are examined on. It provides IT audits, IT risk assessments based on NIST 800-30, penetration testing, monthly vulnerability assessments, virtual CISO support and cybersecurity assessments covering the CAT and ACET, FedLine and PCI. It also lists AI governance among its services.

Rivial’s distinguishing feature is how it expresses risk. Its risk assessments produce return-on-investment style output, translating technical findings into financial terms that a board or asset-liability committee can weigh against other spending. That helps an institution explain why it is funding one control over another, a common question from directors. For credit union cybersecurity programs, the ACET assessment work is directly relevant now that the NCUA has kept the tool in place, and the FedLine assessments help institutions meet Federal Reserve requirements for payment connections. Rivial suits community institutions that want independent assessments and testing with results that non-technical leaders can act on.

8. Ncontracts — Cybersecurity Assessment Software Linked To Vendor And Audit Management

Ncontracts is a Nashville-based provider of risk and compliance software for financial institutions, including banks, credit unions, mortgage companies and wealth managers. It reports more than 5,000 financial industry clients. Its cybersecurity products include cybersecurity assessment software, an employee information security platform and continuity management, alongside enterprise risk management, compliance management, audit management and findings management.

Ncontracts earns a place here because a large share of banking cyber risk now sits with vendors such as core processors, digital banking providers and fintech partners. Its Nvendor product covers the full vendor lifecycle with due diligence reviews and AI-assisted contract management, so security reviews of third parties are tracked in the same system as audit and exam findings. That linkage helps institutions show examiners that issues are logged, assigned and closed. Ncontracts is not a managed security provider, so most institutions pair it with an outside tester or MDR service. It is best for teams that want one system of record for cybersecurity, vendor and compliance risk.

9. CSI — Managed Cybersecurity From A Core Banking Provider

CSI is a financial technology company headquartered in Paducah, Kentucky, best known for core processing and digital banking for community banks. It also offers managed services, including managed cybersecurity and a bundled managed IT and cybersecurity service that it positions as giving community banks larger-institution capabilities without the overhead of building them in-house.

The case for CSI is integration. A bank that already runs its core on CSI can add managed cybersecurity and managed IT from the same provider, which simplifies vendor management and reduces the number of handoffs during an incident. CSI also offers email protection services and adjacent financial crime tools, including TruProtect for fraud prevention and TruDetect for anti-money laundering, which matters as account takeover and payment fraud blur the line between cyber and fraud teams. Institutions should still plan independent testing and audit, since a single vendor running both core and security is a concentration risk examiners will ask about. CSI suits CSI core clients that want fewer vendors.

10. Wolf & Company — CPA Firm IT Audit Practice With Deep Financial Institution Roots

Wolf & Company is an accounting and advisory firm with offices in Boston, Springfield, Princeton and Miami. It traces its roots to a Boston firm whose founder served as a trustee of a savings institution, and banking and credit unions remain core industry specialties. Its IT and cybersecurity services include IT audit, cybersecurity services, SOC reporting and PCI DSS compliance, and its WolfPAC risk management software was built for financial services.

For many boards, an IT audit from a firm that also understands financial statements, regulatory exams and lending is worth more than a pure technical review. Wolf’s credit union practice says it can add capacity in specialized areas including IT and cybersecurity, and its 2026 acquisition of The Kafafian Group, a Pennsylvania bank consulting firm, deepened its financial institution bench. Its client references include banks and credit unions whose executives credit its financial institution experience. Wolf suits institutions that want an independent bank IT audit and cybersecurity review from an established firm, paired with a separate provider for day-to-day monitoring.

How To Choose A Cybersecurity Company For A Bank Or Credit Union

Most institutions use two or three of these firms at once: an independent auditor or tester, a monitoring provider and sometimes a vCISO or software platform. These questions help you pick the right mix.

Which Framework Will We Use Now That The FFIEC CAT Is Gone?

Ask each firm how it helps institutions move to NIST CSF 2.0 or the CISA Cybersecurity Performance Goals, and for credit unions, how it uses the NCUA ACET. A good partner will map your existing controls rather than start from zero, and will show what examiners will see.

How Do They Keep Audit Independent From Managed Services?

If the same firm monitors your network and audits it, ask how it separates those teams. Many boards prefer one firm for monitoring and another for the annual IT audit and penetration test, and examiners often ask about it.

Do Their Reports Hold Up In An Exam?

Request a sample report. It should tie each finding to a risk rating, a recommended fix and the relevant guidance, and it should be readable by the board. Ask how often their reports have been accepted by examiners without follow-up questions.

What Happens During A Real Incident?

Ask who you call at 2 a.m., how quickly they respond and how they coordinate with your core processor, cyber insurer and legal counsel. Our guide on how to handle a ransomware attack covers the decisions to settle before an incident.

Do We Need A Full-Time CISO Or A vCISO?

Smaller institutions often get more from an experienced part-time security leader than from a junior full-time hire. Compare what a vCISO engagement includes, such as board reporting, policy updates and exam support, with the cost of a salaried role. Our list of vCISO service providers covers broader options.

Conclusion

Cybersecurity companies for banks and credit unions fall into a few groups. SBS CyberSecurity, TraceSecurity, Rivial Security and Wolf & Company focus on independent audit, assessment and testing. DefenseStorm, CoNetrix, CSI and Safe Systems provide managed security or managed IT. Bedel Security provides experienced security leadership, and Ncontracts gives institutions a system of record for cyber, vendor and compliance risk.

With the FFIEC CAT retired, now is a good time to review which framework you will report against and whether your current partners can support it. Shortlist one independent tester and one monitoring provider, ask both how they would handle your next exam, and choose the firms whose answers are specific to institutions your size.