SISA's Pentest Reveals Active Directory Exposure and Ransomware Risk for a Banking Solution Provider

For financial institutions, internal network security is paramount, yet hidden threats often bypass standard defenses. In this case study, a leading banking solution provider discovered that their environment was far more vulnerable than they realized. Through deep-dive penetration testing, SISA revealed high-risk gaps, including undetected ransomware artifacts on an AD-adjacent server and world-readable Kerberos tickets that exposed the organization to massive identity theft.

The assessment went beyond simple vulnerability scanning to identify complex attack chains. Our experts uncovered certificate authority misconfigurations and weak ACLs on SMB shares, which exposed sensitive private keys to unauthorized users. These weaknesses created clear paths for attackers to escalate privileges, steal credentials, and potentially disrupt critical payment processing services.

To neutralize these threats, SISA implemented a three-phase remediation plan covering immediate containment, short-term hardening, and long-term governance. This rigorous penetration testing engagement not only eliminated immediate risks—such as securing critical assets and secrets—but also established a resilient security posture capable of withstanding future attacks.

Download the full Customer Success Story to see how SISA protected a banking giant from ransomware and identity compromise.