Financial Services
Cybersecurity & compliance built for financial services firms.
CyNtell provides cybersecurity gap assessments, Fractional CISO leadership, 24/7 monitoring, and penetration testing to registered investment advisers, broker-dealers, non-bank lenders, and other financial services firms working to meet SEC Regulation S-P, the FTC Safeguards Rule, and state laws such as New York's 23 NYCRR Part 500, without adding a full-time security hire to headcount.
At a glance
What is financial services cybersecurity compliance?
Financial services cybersecurity compliance is the set of technical, administrative, and reporting controls that federal and state regulators require firms handling client financial data to maintain, including a written security program, a designated security leader, ongoing monitoring, and regular testing.
CyNtell helps financial services firms build and run that program without hiring a full in-house security team.
| Who this is for | Registered investment advisers, broker-dealers, non-bank lenders and mortgage companies, fintechs, and other financial services firms, particularly small and mid-size firms without a dedicated in-house security team |
|---|---|
| Frameworks addressed | SEC Regulation S-P (as amended 2024), the FTC Safeguards Rule (GLBA, 16 CFR Part 314), New York's 23 NYCRR Part 500 (NYDFS), and FINRA cybersecurity program expectations for broker-dealers |
| Core services | Gap Assessments, Fractional CISO, Security Operations Center (SOC) monitoring, and Penetration Testing |
| Delivered by | CyNtell's own in-house team, not subcontracted or white-labeled |
| Get started | A free, no-obligation security call. Call 1 (833) CYNTELL or request a callback below. |
Why now
Three deadlines financial services firms are already behind on.
These are not future requirements. Each of the deadlines below has already passed, which means a firm without a documented program today has a current compliance gap.
June 3, 2026
Smaller-entity deadline has passed
In force for every size of firm
Every SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, regardless of size, must now maintain a written incident response program for breaches involving customer information, along with customer notification and service provider oversight procedures. Larger entities had to comply by December 3, 2025.
If your firm's Regulation S-P program isn't documented and in place, that is a current compliance gap, not a future requirement.
June 2023
Fully enforceable since
Required of non-bank lenders for years
The FTC's Safeguards Rule (16 CFR Part 314) has required covered non-bank financial institutions, including mortgage brokers, finance companies, and other non-bank lenders, to maintain a written information security program since June 2023. Since May 2024, covered firms must also notify the FTC within 30 days of discovering a breach involving the information of 500 or more consumers.
Violations can lead to FTC enforcement and consent orders, and each violation of an FTC order can carry a civil penalty of up to $53,088.
Nov 1, 2025
Final requirements took effect
Key New York deadlines already passed
If your firm holds a license, registration, or charter under New York's Banking, Insurance, or Financial Services Law, universal multifactor authentication and a complete, documented asset inventory have been required since November 1, 2025.
Every April 15, covered entities must file a certification of compliance or acknowledgment of noncompliance signed by the CEO and CISO, who are personally accountable for what it states. Reportable cybersecurity incidents must be reported to NYDFS within 72 hours.
Not sure which of these applies to your firm?
Get a complimentary security callYour requirements
Which framework applies to your firm?
Financial services regulation splits by what kind of firm you are, not by industry alone. CyNtell's assessors will confirm which framework or frameworks actually apply to your specific business before proposing a scope of work.
| Firm type | Primary framework | Key requirements | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEC-registered investment adviser or broker-dealer | SEC Regulation S-P, plus FINRA cybersecurity program expectations for broker-dealers | Written incident response program, customer notification, and service provider oversight | In force for all sizes. The smaller-entity deadline (June 3, 2026) has passed. |
| Mortgage broker or lender, finance company, other non-bank lender, or fintech | FTC Safeguards Rule (GLBA, 16 CFR Part 314) | Written information security program overseen by a Qualified Individual, annual penetration test plus vulnerability scans every six months (or continuous monitoring), and FTC notice of qualifying breaches | In force since June 2023 |
| Any of the above, or an insurer or virtual currency business, licensed in New York | NYDFS 23 NYCRR Part 500 | Universal MFA, asset inventory, annual compliance filing signed by the CEO and CISO, 72-hour incident notice, and annual penetration test | MFA and asset inventory required since Nov 1, 2025. Annual filing due every April 15. |
| Bank or credit union | Your federal banking regulator (OCC, FDIC, Federal Reserve, or NCUA) | Interagency guidelines and FFIEC-aligned examination standards | Outside the scope of this page. Ask CyNtell which framework applies to a chartered depository institution. |
Who CyNtell serves
Financial services firms CyNtell works with
Investment Advisers & Broker-Dealers
CyNtell helps registered investment advisers and broker-dealers build the written incident response program Regulation S-P requires, and maps ongoing security controls to FINRA's cybersecurity program expectations.
- Gap assessment against Regulation S-P's requirements
- Fractional CISO leadership to own and maintain the program
- Customer notification and vendor oversight procedures
Lenders, Mortgage Companies & Fintechs
CyNtell helps non-bank lenders, mortgage brokers, and fintech companies build and document the written information security program the FTC Safeguards Rule requires.
- Gap assessment against 16 CFR Part 314
- Annual penetration test plus vulnerability scans every six months
- Qualified Individual program oversight through CyNtell's Fractional CISO
New York Licensed Financial Entities
CyNtell helps any New York licensed financial entity, regardless of size, close the gaps most likely to draw NYDFS enforcement: universal MFA, a complete asset inventory, and audit-ready documentation for the annual compliance filing.
- Gap assessment against 23 NYCRR Part 500
- Annual penetration testing inside and outside the network boundary
- 24/7 monitoring to support the 72-hour notification clock
How CyNtell helps
Services mapped to what regulators actually require
Each of CyNtell's core services lines up with a specific requirement financial services firms are held to, not a generic security package.
Gap Assessments
CyNtell's in-house assessors evaluate your firm's controls against the specific framework or frameworks that apply to you, whether that is SEC Regulation S-P, the FTC Safeguards Rule, NYDFS 23 NYCRR Part 500, or more than one at once. You receive a prioritized roadmap of what to fix first, which supports the risk assessment each of these frameworks expects.
See Gap Assessments →Fractional CISO
The FTC Safeguards Rule requires a Qualified Individual to oversee your information security program, and NYDFS requires a CISO. CyNtell's Fractional CISO fills that role part time, for a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire, and gives investment advisers and broker-dealers a clear owner for their Regulation S-P program.
See Fractional CISO →Security Operations Center (SOC)
CyNtell's own analysts provide 24/7 monitoring and alerting, so a security event is detected and escalated to your team quickly. That supports the 72-hour NYDFS notification clock and the incident response program Regulation S-P requires, and it means an event is caught as it happens instead of discovered during an audit.
See Security Operations Center →Penetration Testing
CyNtell's in-house testers run the annual penetration tests that the FTC Safeguards Rule and 23 NYCRR Part 500 both require by name, including NYDFS testing from inside and outside the network boundary. Testers also run the vulnerability scans the Safeguards Rule calls for every six months between full tests.
See Penetration Testing →Why CyNtell
Why financial services firms choose CyNtell
CyNtell works both sides of the table, as an advisor building security programs and as an Authorized C3PAO assessing them, so the firm knows which documentation holds up under scrutiny and which falls apart.
Talk to a CyNtell security specialistCommercial focus, not a government afterthought
CyNtell serves commercial clients, including financial services, healthcare, and other regulated industries, with the same depth of service as its federal contracting work, not a scaled-down version of it.
Authorized C3PAO
CyNtell is an Authorized C3PAO, authorized by the Cyber AB to conduct CMMC assessments for the Department of War (DoW). It is the same in-house assessment team that works with financial services clients. View on the CMMC Marketplace
In-house delivery
Gap assessments, Fractional CISO engagements, SOC monitoring, and penetration testing are all delivered by CyNtell's own analysts and assessors, not subcontracted or white-labeled through a third party.
Financial services compliance questions, answered
Does the FTC Safeguards Rule apply to my firm?
The FTC Safeguards Rule applies to non-bank financial institutions the FTC regulates directly, such as mortgage brokers, non-bank lenders, and finance companies. It does not apply to SEC-registered investment advisers or broker-dealers, who fall under SEC Regulation S-P instead, or to banks and credit unions, who answer to their own federal banking regulator. CyNtell can confirm which framework applies to your specific firm on a free security call.
What is the SEC Regulation S-P deadline for smaller firms?
SEC Regulation S-P's amended requirements, including a written incident response program, took effect for smaller SEC-registered entities on June 3, 2026. Larger entities had an earlier deadline of December 3, 2025. Both dates have now passed, so an SEC-registered investment adviser or broker-dealer without a documented program has a current compliance gap, not a future one.
Does NYDFS 23 NYCRR Part 500 apply if my firm isn't based in New York?
23 NYCRR Part 500 applies to any entity operating under a license, registration, charter, or certificate issued under New York's Banking, Insurance, or Financial Services Law, regardless of where the firm is physically headquartered. A firm based elsewhere that holds a New York license, or serves New York clients under one, may still be a covered entity. CyNtell can help confirm your firm's status.
What's the difference between a gap assessment and a penetration test?
A gap assessment is a CyNtell assessor's review of your firm's written policies, procedures, and controls against a specific framework's requirements, resulting in a prioritized list of what to fix. A penetration test is a hands-on, authorized simulated attack against your actual systems to find exploitable weaknesses. Most financial services frameworks on this page require both, on different schedules.
Is CyNtell itself a bank, broker-dealer, or other regulated financial institution?
No. CyNtell is a cybersecurity and compliance services firm. It does not hold client funds, execute trades, or extend credit. CyNtell's financial services clients remain solely responsible for their own regulatory filings and financial conduct obligations. CyNtell's role is helping them meet the cybersecurity and data security requirements those regulators impose.
Does CyNtell offer a dedicated financial services compliance program, or is this a general security package?
CyNtell scopes each engagement to the specific framework or frameworks that apply to a given financial services firm, whether that is SEC Regulation S-P, the FTC Safeguards Rule, NYDFS 23 NYCRR Part 500, or a combination, rather than selling one generic package. A free security call is how CyNtell determines which frameworks apply before proposing a scope.
Get started
Ready to find out where your firm stands?
A free, no-obligation call with a CyNtell security specialist. No pressure, no commitment.
- Confirm which frameworks apply to your firm
- Get a clear picture of your current gaps
- Delivered by CyNtell's own in-house team
Request a callback
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Page reviewed October 2026.