The FDIC audit was completed successfully, with technical components described as “brilliant” and well ahead of peer institutions.
Preparing a Bank for FDIC and PCI-DSS Audits with Technical & Security Excellence
How Softjourn supported a financial institution in preparing for and passing regulatory audits through secure architecture and process maturity.
ABOUT THE CLIENT:
SERVICES USED:
SERVICES USED:
Challenge
The client required comprehensive technical preparation for upcoming FDIC and PCI-DSS audits, with secure architecture and auditable documentation – amid ongoing platform modernization.
Solution
Softjourn delivered audit-aligned architecture, documentation, and security processes, enabling the client to pass regulatory audits and establish compliance-ready foundations.
Benefits
- Passed FDIC audit with strong feedback
- PCI-DSS readiness established
- Secure architecture and documentation
- Long-term compliance processes in place
Introduction
As a federally regulated institution, the client is subject to stringent compliance standards to ensure the integrity and security of its financial operations.
To meet these obligations, they needed to prepare for both FDIC audits and future PCI-DSS certification.
They partnered with Softjourn based on a prior successful collaboration between their CTO and our team. With confidence in our ability to deliver secure, compliant systems, the institution brought us in to help prepare for key regulatory milestones.
Softjourn served as the technical partner, delivering secure architecture, robust documentation, and audit-ready processes.
The Challenge
Regulatory audits demand a high degree of transparency, technical precision, and documentation — especially during transitions to new architectures with many vendor integrations.
The institution needed a technical team with deep knowledge of financial systems and the ability to produce high-quality, auditable documentation.
While their legal and compliance advisors coordinated audit requirements, Softjourn was relied upon to ensure the underlying technology would meet scrutiny. In doing so, our team adapted to shifting priorities by proactively engaging stakeholders and creating clarity where scope was initially undefined.
The Solution
Softjourn took ownership of many technical aspects of audit preparation, including:
- Network diagrams and architecture documentation
- Solution design documents aligned with compliance
- Security assessments, disaster recovery plans, and incident response
- Structured development processes (SDLC, code reviews, etc.)
We aligned our work with the internal audit strategy and collaborated seamlessly with compliance teams. The FDIC audit was completed successfully, with technical components described as “brilliant” and well ahead of peer institutions.
In parallel, we also laid the groundwork for PCI-DSS compliance, helping develop security practices, architectural controls, and documentation.
We also implemented structured QA, including both manual and automated testing, to ensure system reliability and traceability.
The Benefits
Softjourn’s engineering maturity and security-first approach helped the client confidently navigate regulatory reviews. This process strengthened our client’s compliance posture and long-term operational resilience.
Key Benefits:
- Successfully passed FDIC audit with positive technical feedback
- Established architecture and documentation practices that are still in use today
- Implemented disaster recovery, network security, and audit-friendly workflows
- Prepared platform for future PCI-DSS compliance
- Delivered secure, scalable foundations tailored to a multi-vendor banking ecosystem
These contributions were especially valuable given the shifting vendor landscape and limited internal bandwidth, highlighting Softjourn’s ability to independently drive security and compliance forward.
Conclusion
The institution’s commitment to compliance was reinforced by Softjourn’s expertise. The processes and frameworks we introduced remain part of our client’s internal best practices — a testament to our long-term impact.
We continue to work with this client on various other projects, including the migration of their core banking platform, enhancing their development processes, and assisting them in building custom AWS infrastructure.
Partnership & Recognition
