TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Overview
- Client Requirements
- Challenges
- Solutions Delivered
- Results
- Conclusion
Overview
Today, threat actors increasingly target financial institutions based on the sensitive data they hold. One such financial services firm, operating across 60+ locations across South India, had realized the importance of working toward strengthening its cybersecurity posture. The organization considered full VAPT Testing for its core applications and backend infrastructure as part of regulatory requirements and internal risk mitigation measures.
To be in compliance with cybersecurity regulations as well as safeguard themselves against cyberattacks, they associated with ECS, one of the premier VAPT Service Providers in India, to conduct an enterprise-grade VAPT audit under the NIST cybersecurity framework.
Client Requirements
The client, a well-established NBFC (non-banking financial company), offers financing for commercial vehicles, construction equipment, and SME loans. They required:
- End-to-end VAPT Services for critical applications and infrastructure.
- A VAPT audit in line with industry-recognized standards like NIST and RBI/NBFC guidelines.
- A certified VAPT Company in India to support compliance, data protection, and operational resilience.
- Documentation support for VAPT certification.
- An optimized delivery cycle within 30 days to meet audit and compliance deadlines.
Challenges
Despite internal security mechanisms, several operational and technical challenges remained:
- Multiple Entry Points: Applications hosted across hybrid environments had multiple attack surfaces vulnerable to exploitation.
- Regulatory Pressure: Urgent need to address compliance gaps by NBFC regulatory norms and security standards.
- Limited Visibility: Lack of a centralized security audit mechanism to assess the effectiveness of existing controls.
- Critical Data at Risk: Financial and personally identifiable data (PII) were inadequately protected, increasing the risk of data breaches and ransomware threats.
- Time Constraints: The client had limited time to complete the VAPT and produce reports for their internal and external audits.
Solutions Delivered
As a top-rated VAPT Company in India, ECS deployed a multi-phase VAPT solution customized to the client’s risk environment. Here’s what we delivered:
1. Vulnerability Assessment & Penetration Testing
- Performed Black Box VAPT Testing on externally exposed applications.
- Simulated real-world attack vectors using both automated tools and manual penetration testing.
- Identified high-risk vulnerabilities, including outdated libraries, insecure APIs, and configuration issues.
2. Compliance-Driven Security Testing
- Aligned assessment with the NIST cybersecurity framework and NBFC regulatory requirements.
- Documented results for VAPT certification and regulatory reporting.
3. Detailed VAPT Audit Report
Provided a detailed technical report including:
- Risk scoring
- Proof-of-concepts
- Screenshots and logs
- Remediation strategies
Assisted client teams in understanding VAPT testing cost, prioritizing mitigation based on risk severity.
4. Remediation Advisory and Retesting
- Provided actionable remediation steps.
- Conducted a second-round validation after client patching.
- Supported internal audit documentation for compliance review.
Results
The VAPT engagement resulted in multiple tangible benefits for the client:
- Identified and Remediated 50+ Critical and High-Risk Vulnerabilities
- Strengthened Application and Infrastructure Security Posture
- Successful Closure of Security Gaps Highlighted in Internal and External Audits
- Achieved Full Regulatory Compliance with VAPT Certification
- Improved Visibility Across Security Operations and Risk Management
The entire process — from initial scoping to final report submission — was completed within 30 business days, helping the organization avoid compliance penalties and ensure uninterrupted service delivery.
Conclusion
This case study highlights how timely and structured VAPT Services in India can help financial institutions overcome security gaps, achieve compliance, and protect customer data. Having the support of subject matter experts in carrying out ECS and testing methodologies for the client, the cybersecurity resilience was fortified through applications and infrastructure, all while being subject to a very strict timeline set by regulatory authorities.
ECS can be your very dependable cybersecurity solutions partner that is scalable and compliance-ready, whether you are preparing for a VAPT audit, seeking information on VAPT testing cost, or considering the cost of VAPT certification for your organization.
