Virtual CISO services for fintech and embedded finance.
For payment platforms, lending products, banking-adjacent SaaS, and embedded finance companies pursuing PCI DSS, SOC 2, and bank-grade diligence.
PCI DSS 4.0 scope minimization, SOC 2 alongside PCI, ISO 27001 for European deals, bank diligence response, and the security program that actually gets you through a partner bank review without 90 days of back-and-forth.
- PCI DSS 4.0 scope minimization, SAQ-A through full ROC
- Bank partner diligence packages on tight timelines
- SOC 2 + PCI stacked in one engagement
- Cardholder data flow diagrams from your real architecture
What we do for fintech specifically.
PCI DSS 4.0 scope minimization
Most fintechs default to a larger PCI scope than they need to carry. We design cardholder data flows that keep you in the lowest-burden SAQ your business model can justify. SAQ-A for purely tokenized merchants, SAQ-D for service providers, full ROC for the few that need it. We work alongside your QSA to document the design.
Bank partner diligence
Sponsor banks, BIN sponsors, and partner banks in BaaS deals all run their own security diligence. The questionnaire is 200+ items, the timeline is "answer this week," and the bank is allergic to "we will get back to you." We write the responses, defend them on the call, and own the relationship until the partnership goes live.
SOC 2 stacked on PCI
Most fintech enterprise buyers want both. We run SOC 2 alongside PCI because the controls overlap and a single evidence collection cycle covers both. ISO 27001 stacks on top when European customers demand it.
Customer security questionnaires
Fintech security questionnaires are unusually technical: SSO/SAML configurations, IAM model, encryption-in-transit standards, network segmentation, KMS key rotation. We answer them in days, defend the answers on the buyer's security call, and keep the responses synchronized as your controls evolve.
Strategic security roadmap
Roadmap tied to bank deals, BaaS launches, partner integrations, and your next regulator interaction. Ranked by what unblocks revenue first and what survives the hardest diligence ask.
Incident response leadership
Fintech incidents have regulatory clocks: PCI breach notification, state data breach laws, partner bank notification clauses, and in some cases regulatory examiners. We write the playbook, run the tabletop, and lead the response when something happens.
The four moments Fintech companies pick up the phone.
Your sponsor bank diligence is stalling your launch.
A 200-item questionnaire from the partner bank, a 90-day timeline that everyone knows is really 30 days, and a CTO who is now reading PCI DSS 4.0 line by line. We have done this exact diligence before and know which answers the banks actually scrutinize.
You are not sure which PCI SAQ you qualify for.
Your processor says SAQ-A, your enterprise customers want full ROC, your CFO does not want to scope-creep, and your QSA is being expensive. We design the cardholder data flow first, then pick the SAQ that fits.
Your enterprise pipeline is blocked on SOC 2 + PCI together.
Your buyers want SOC 2 for general security and PCI for the payments component. Most consultancies will sell you those engagements separately. We run them in parallel because the underlying controls overlap and one evidence cycle covers both.
You are pursuing a state money transmitter license.
Money transmitter applications include security and compliance attestations. We write the security narrative, document the program, and represent the security side of the application package.
Frameworks we run for Fintech.
PCI DSS 4.0
SAQ-A through SAQ-D and full ROC scope. We minimize scope through cardholder data flow design and work alongside your QSA to document the program. PCI DSS 4.0 introduced new requirements around continuous monitoring and authentication that catch first-timers off guard.
SOC 2 + PCI stack
Most fintech buyers want both. Run together because the underlying controls overlap heavily. One engagement, two attestations, no duplicated evidence work.
ISO 27001:2022
For European customers and larger enterprise buyers. Statement of Applicability, risk treatment plan, Annex A control selection. Stacks cleanly with SOC 2 + PCI when in scope.
A typical fintech engagement.
A Series B fintech building an embedded payments product on AWS has a partner bank deal that requires SOC 2 Type II plus PCI DSS scoping in 90 days. They have a draft policy package from their last consultancy and a security questionnaire backlog they have not touched in six weeks. We start with a Sprint to map the cardholder data flow, design them into SAQ-D scope (instead of the full ROC their QSA had been quoting), and surface three IAM misconfigurations that would have failed PCI requirement 7. Their security questionnaire turnaround drops from 3 weeks to 2 days. The Sprint converts to an Embedded retainer. The bank deal closes on schedule. SOC 2 Type II runs in parallel with the PCI program through the next 6 months.
Score your Fintech security readiness in 4 minutes.
Twenty questions, scored PDF in your inbox, realistic timeline to audit. Free.
Fintech-specific questions.
When does a fintech need a vCISO?
Three triggers: a sponsor bank or BIN sponsor diligence package, a PCI DSS scoping decision that will define your compliance burden for years, or an enterprise security questionnaire that exposed how thin the program really is. Underneath all three: fintech security has regulatory teeth that other industries do not, and getting it wrong has consequences other industries do not have.
Can you minimize our PCI scope?
Yes, this is one of the highest-leverage things a fintech vCISO does. Most fintechs default to a larger PCI scope than they need to carry because nobody walked them through the design first. We design the cardholder data flow before picking the SAQ, which often moves a fintech from SAQ-D to SAQ-A or from full ROC to SAQ-D. The savings on audit fees and ongoing compliance burden are usually 5x our retainer in the first year.
Do you handle bank diligence questionnaires?
Yes. Sponsor banks, partner banks, and BaaS providers all have their own diligence processes. We answer the questionnaire, defend the answers on the joint call, and own the security side of the partnership through launch. This is typically 3 to 6 weeks of work compressed into a Sprint or part of a retainer.
What does a fintech vCISO retainer cost?
Strategic vCISO at $5,000/mo. Embedded vCISO is custom-scoped (Inquire). Founding cohort pricing puts Strategic at $2,500/mo for 12 months. PCI DSS scoping work and bank diligence packages are typically project-fee on top of retainer.
Do you work with neobanks, BNPL, lending, and BaaS?
Yes, across all of them. The common thread is sponsor bank diligence, PCI scope decisions, and SOC 2 readiness for B2B distribution. The specifics vary: BNPL has different fraud-control expectations, lending has different state regulatory exposure, BaaS has different partner-bank dynamics.
Ready to talk about your fintech program?
Three doors. Start with a $2,500 Sprint, apply for a founding retainer slot at 50% off, or take the free 4-minute SOC 2 Readiness Scorecard if you want a snapshot before talking to anyone.