Security Program Building

◆ Program Build

▲ Regulatory & Compliance

FinTech

New York, NY

Unicorn

Zero Security Program to Board-Ready in Months

A rapidly expanding fintech company in New York, responsible for safeguarding millions of consumer PII records, initially lacked a robust security framework. Digiss developed, manages, and continuously enhances their comprehensive cybersecurity program from scratch.

Unicorn

High-growth fintech with significant investor and regulatory scrutiny

Security program elements in place before Digiss was engaged

Millions

Consumer PII records under protection across the platform

Full

end-to-end program ownership across GRC, MDR, AppSec, and IR

Background

A Two-Person Security Team Buried in False Alarms

The client is a New York-based financial technology platform that uses data solutions to help individuals build credit scores while enabling property owners to mitigate the need for evictions. The platform sits at the intersection of financial services and housing, two industries with exacting regulatory requirements and a low tolerance for data breaches.

With millions of consumer PII records in its care, the company had a clear obligation: demonstrate to investors, board members, insurers, and regulators that data risk was being systematically managed. What it lacked was everything needed to make that demonstration credibly.

Leadership engaged Digiss to do something most security firms aren't structured to do: plan, build, and run a complete enterprise security program from scratch

What Was at Stake

▲

Cyber insurance approval, the company was paying steep premiums with inadequate controls to justify them.

▲

SOC 2 certification, a hard requirement for enterprise sales and investor due diligence.

▲

ISO 27001 certification, needed to satisfy international counterparties and expand market reach.

▲

Investor and board confidence, leadership needed to demonstrate adequate risk management.

Data Profile

The platform handles sensitive consumer financial and housing data, a category that attracts both opportunistic cybercriminals and scrutiny from financial services and housing regulators. A breach would carry legal, reputational, and existential consequences.

Starting Point

Six Critical Gaps. A Program That Didn't Exist.

Before Digiss was engaged, the organization had almost no meaningful security program elements in place. The following gaps, each independently significant, combined to create an exposure profile that was incompatible with the company’s growth ambitions and compliance obligations.

Severely Understaffed Security Team

An extremely lean internal team with no dedicated security operations or incident response capability was expected to manage risk for a platform carrying millions of consumer records.

No SecOps or Incident Response

There was no security operations capability whatsoever, no continuous monitoring, no alerting infrastructure, and no incident response playbooks or processes.

No Governance or Program Foundation

No security policies, risk management framework, or governance structure existed. There was no documented security posture, no risk register, and no compliance roadmap.

No Security Technology Stack

The organization had no security tooling deployed, no endpoint protection, no SIEM, no vulnerability management capability, and no identity security controls.

Unsustainable Insurance Premiums

The company was paying very steep cyber insurance premiums, a direct reflection of the insurer’s assessment of its security posture. Improving controls would materially reduce this cost.

Not Certifiable

SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certifications, both actively being pursued, were unachievable in the current state. No auditor could have issued a positive opinion against the baseline that existed.

Digiss Solution

A Complete Security Program Built. Deployed. Operated.

Digiss designed and implemented a comprehensive, multi-layered managed security program addressing all aspects of the client's cybersecurity needs. Instead of offering a single solution, Digiss became the client's outsourced security function, integrating strategy, tools, operations, and compliance readiness into one accountable partnership.

Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC)

Digiss established the governance foundation the organization lacked entirely, including security policies, a risk management framework, a risk register, and a compliance roadmap targeting SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certification. Leadership now had a defensible, documented security posture to present to investors, insurers, and auditors.

Managed Detection & Response (MDR)

With no prior security operations capability in place, Digiss deployed and now operates continuous threat detection and incident response on behalf of the client; delivering 24/7 situational awareness across the organization's attack surface,something the lean internal team could never have achieved independently.

Secure System Development (AppSec)

Digiss integrated security into the client's software development lifecycle, shifting vulnerability identification to earlier stages. This ensured that the platform, designed to handle sensitive consumer data, was built with security as a core principle rather than an afterthought.

Vulnerability Assessment & Penetration Testing

Ongoing vulnerability assessments and structured penetration testing ensure that weaknesses are identified and remediated on a continuous basis rather than discovered by adversaries first. Findings feed directly into the risk register and the compliance program.

Security Technology Deployment

Starting from scratch, Digiss carefully selected, deployed, and configured a tailored security technology stack. This included endpoint protection, SIEM, identity controls, and more, all customized to fit the organization’s environment, risk profile, and budget.

Ongoing vCISO & Strategic Advisory

Digiss provides ongoing virtual CISO level guidance, translating security risk into business language for the board and investors, supporting fundraising conversations, and ensuring that the security program evolves in lockstep with the company’s growth trajectory.

Transformation

Before Digiss. After Digiss.

The contrast between the organization's security posture at engagement and today reflects a fundamental transformation not incremental improvement.

✕ Before Digiss

No security policies or governance framework

No threat detection or incident response capability

No security tooling deployed

SOC 2 certification unachievable

ISO 27001 certification unachievable

Very steep, unjustified cyber insurance premiums

No board-ready security posture to present to investors

Application security absent from the development lifecycle

✓ After Digiss

✓

Full GRC framework with documented risk register and policies

✓

24/7 managed detection and response in continuous operation

✓

Purpose-fit security stack deployed and actively maintained

✓

SOC 2 certification roadmap active and on track

✓

ISO 27001 certification roadmap active and on track

✓

Cyber insurance terms re-negotiated in the client's favor

✓

Board-ready reporting delivered on a regular cadence

✓

Security integrated into the software development lifecycle

Outcomes

What a Complete Security Program Actually Delivers

Implementing a fully managed cybersecurity program has led to significant improvements in the client's security posture and business operations.

“Our managed cybersecurity program gives the client a robust and scalable solution to their security challenges, allowing them to operate with confidence and resilience in an ever-evolving threat landscape.”

Full Visibility Into the Security Landscape

The client now has a comprehensive, real-time view of their security posture, including continuous monitoring across endpoints, cloud environments, and the application layer. Threats and anomalies are identified and triaged before they escalate. Leadership has clear, regular reporting on their risk profile instead of operating blind.

Dramatically Reduced Incident Response Time

With the implementation of managed detection and response capabilities, the time taken to identify and address security incidents has been significantly reduced. When threats arise, a well-practiced response is activated immediately, eliminating the need for an under-resourced internal team to handle the situation under pressure.

Compliance Readiness & Audit Confidence

The structured GRC program has placed the client firmly on the path to SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certification, both previously out of reach. Audit preparation is now a routine operational activity rather than a crisis response. Detailed compliance reporting makes the process straightforward and significantly less stressful for internal stakeholders.

Lower Cyber Insurance Premiums

The improvement in the client's demonstrable security posture enabled a successful renegotiation of cyber insurance terms, with terms now re-negotiated in the client’s favor. The ability to answer insurer security questionnaires with documented evidence, rather than gaps, directly translated into cost savings and more favorable coverage terms.

Stronger Security Culture Across the Organization

Security awareness training and ongoing education have significantly increased employee understanding of cybersecurity risks and responsibilities. Staff across the organization now recognize threats such as phishing attempts and social engineering that previously would have gone unreported. A stronger security culture has become a genuine organizational asset.

Reduced Risk of Data Breach & Business Disruption

Proactive threat hunting, continuous monitoring, vulnerability management, and rapid incident response have materially reduced the probability and potential impact of a data breach. The client has experienced fewer security related disruptions, and the organization is far better positioned to protect the millions of consumer records in its care, preserving both regulatory standing and user trust.