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NCUA IT Risk Assessment and Compliance Services

NCUA IT Risk Assessment

NCUA IT Risk Assessment and NCUA Compliance Services

Tanner Security Consultants has over a decade of experience working with Credit Unions to achieve NCUA (National Credit Union Administration) compliance. Our NCUA IT Risk Assessments and General Consulting Services will fortify your technical infrastructure and meet compliance requirements. Our team of professional consultants will guide your credit union through an IT risk assessment and provide your team with strategic consulting services.

Credit unions are dealing with more cybersecurity threats, changing regulations, and higher member expectations for secure digital banking. Issues like ransomware, phishing, third-party risks, cloud use, and fraud have made cybersecurity a top focus for NCUA examinations.

An NCUA IT Risk Assessment helps credit unions find technology risks, review current security controls, improve governance, and get ready for regulations. A good assessment looks beyond technical issues and considers how cybersecurity supports the credit union’s overall safety and resilience.

At Tanner Security, we help credit unions manage technology risk with thorough IT risk assessments that follow NCUA and FFIEC guidelines. Our team has experience in cybersecurity, governance, risk management, cloud security, compliance, and security audits. We give practical advice to improve security and support your business goals.

If your credit union is getting ready for an NCUA exam, updating its cybersecurity, checking third-party vendors, or improving security governance, our experienced consultants are here to help.

What Is an NCUA IT Risk Assessment?

An NCUA IT Risk Assessment is a review of technology risks that could impact a credit union’s operations, member data, financial systems, compliance, and business continuity.

The IT assessment finds technology threats, checks for weaknesses, reviews current controls, and sees if risks are managed well. It also helps leaders know where they might need to invest more, improve governance, or make changes.

An NUCA IT risk assessment looks at technology from a wider business view, not just technical tests like vulnerability scans or penetration tests. It reviews governance, policies, cloud services, vendor management, identity security, disaster recovery, incident response, and the maturity of your security program.

The goal is to give leaders and the board useful information so they can make smart decisions about managing risks.

Why NCUA IT Risk Assessments Matter

Technology is now at the heart of almost every service credit unions offer. Online and mobile banking, electronic payments, cloud services, and third-party providers all bring new cybersecurity risks that need ongoing attention.

NCUA examiners want credit unions to know these risks, put controls in place, and show they are managing risks regularly. A full IT risk assessment helps leaders find security gaps before they turn into exam issues or security problems.

Doing regular assessments also helps with planning by letting credit unions focus cybersecurity spending where it matters most, instead of waiting for problems to happen.

Talk with an NCUA IT Risk Assessment Professional Today!

Take the Next Step in your NCUA compliance

Our NCUA IT Risk Assessment Methodology

We start every project by learning about your credit union’s goals, technology setup, regulatory needs, member services, and how much risk you are willing to take.

Our consultants review governance practices, information security policies, identity and access management, cloud environments, network architecture, endpoint protection, cybersecurity monitoring, incident response, backup and disaster recovery, vendor management, business continuity planning, employee security awareness, and compliance initiatives.

Instead of just making a checklist, we look at how well the IT controls lower risk and help your credit union reach its long-term goals.

When we finish, you get a full report with executive summaries, detailed findings, risk ratings, top priorities for fixing issues, and a clear plan to improve cybersecurity and meet regulations.

NCUA IT Risk Assessment

NCUA IT Controls Commonly Evaluated

Each credit union is unique, but our assessments often cover identity and access management, privileged account security, multi-factor authentication, cloud security, vendor risk, endpoint and network security, vulnerability management, ransomware readiness, data protection, monitoring, disaster recovery, incident response, governance, and board-level oversight.

We focus on finding the most important risks for your business and giving you practical advice you can use over time.

Governance and Board Oversight

Strong governance is a key part of a good information security program.

Our consultants evaluate how executive leadership and the board oversee cybersecurity initiatives, review technology risks, establish security priorities, approve policies, monitor remediation efforts, and support continual improvement.

A good governance program shows due diligence, helps with decision-making, and makes the credit union stronger overall.

Third-Party Vendor Risk Management

Today’s credit unions depend a lot on technology vendors, managed service providers, cloud platforms, payment processors, and fintech partners.

These partnerships offer big benefits, but they also bring cybersecurity and operational risks that need careful management.

We review how you oversee vendors, do due diligence, manage contracts, monitor activities, and assess risks to make sure your third-party relationships meet security and regulatory needs.

We were fortunate to have collaborated with Tanner IT Security Consultants. From the outset, John’s team exhibited a remarkable depth of knowledge and a clear understanding of our specific NCUA requirements.

Andy W. – Chief Information Security Officer

Benefits of an Independent NCUA IT Risk Assessment

An independent assessment gives leaders an unbiased view of how well the credit union’s cybersecurity program works. It often leads to stronger governance, better security, lower risk, improved vendor oversight, better regulatory readiness, smarter technology planning, and stronger protection of member information.

Most importantly, the assessment helps leaders use their cybersecurity resources where they matter most for the business and its members.

Why Choose Tanner Security?

Tanner Security brings together skills in cybersecurity consulting, risk management, governance, compliance, cloud security, penetration testing, and security audits.

Our consultants know credit unions have unique regulatory needs and must balance efficiency, member trust, and cybersecurity. Instead of generic reports, we offer practical advice to improve security and help you reach your long-term goals.

If your credit union needs an independent IT risk assessment, help getting ready for an NCUA exam, or broader cybersecurity advice, our team has the experience to help you move forward with confidence.

Ready to Strengthen Your Credit Union's Cybersecurity Program?

Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT responsibility, it is a business and governance priority. Cybersecurity is now a business and governance priority, not just an IT issue. An independent NCUA IT Risk Assessment gives leaders and the board valuable insight into technology risks, helps strengthen security, improves regulatory readiness, and protects member trust. Consultants can help your credit union reduce cyber risk and prepare for future regulatory examinations.

Related Cybersecurity and Compliance Services

An NCUA IT Risk Assessment is a great start for managing technology risk. Still, many credit unions also benefit from extra cybersecurity services that check security controls, improve governance, and help with compliance.

Our related services include:

All these services work together to help credit unions build a strong cybersecurity program that protects member information, supports compliance, and boosts long-term resilience.

NCUA IT Risk Assessment

An NCUA IT Risk Assessment evaluates the technology risks that could affect a credit union’s operations, member information, financial systems, and regulatory compliance. The following blog post provides a Cybersecurity Risk Assessment Checklist to review.

Information Security Risk Assessments helps identify cybersecurity risks, prioritize remediation efforts, improve governance, and support NCUA examination readiness.

The NCUA expects credit unions to identify, evaluate, and manage information technology risks as part of a comprehensive information security program. Every business needs a cybersecurity risk assessment, and it doesn’t matter which industry they serve.

A penetration test attempts to exploit vulnerabilities to simulate an attack. An IT risk assessment evaluates overall technology risk, governance, security controls, and business impact.

An IT audit evaluates whether existing controls are designed and operating effectively. An IT risk assessment identifies and prioritizes risks that could affect the business.

Assessments commonly evaluate identity and access management, cloud security, vendor risk, endpoint protection, network security, backup and recovery, incident response, business continuity, governance, and regulatory compliance.

Yes. Vendor oversight, due diligence, contract management, and ongoing monitoring are important components of a comprehensive assessment.

Yes. Our assessments are designed to align with NCUA guidance and, where applicable, support broader FFIEC cybersecurity and risk management expectations.

Most credit unions should perform a comprehensive assessment annually and after significant technology, regulatory, or operational changes.

Yes. Independent assessments help identify control gaps and provide a roadmap for improving cybersecurity before an examination.

Yes. Microsoft 365, Microsoft Azure, AWS, Google Cloud, hybrid infrastructure, and other cloud platforms can be included in the assessment scope.

The timeline depends on the credit union’s size, the complexity of its technology environment, and the agreed scope. Most engagements range from several days to a few weeks.

Clients receive an executive summary, detailed findings, risk ratings, prioritized recommendations, and a remediation roadmap.

Yes. We help credit unions prioritize findings, improve security controls, update policies, strengthen governance, and implement practical remediation plans.

Pricing varies based on the credit union’s size, technology environment, regulatory requirements, and the scope of the assessment.

Our consultants combine deep cybersecurity expertise with practical experience in governance, risk management, compliance, cloud security, and independent security assessments to help credit unions strengthen their security posture and prepare for regulatory examinations.

NCUA IT Risk Assessment vs. IT Audit: What's the Difference?

Although both services help improve cybersecurity and reduce risk, they answer different questions.

An NCUA IT Risk Assessment identifies and prioritizes the technology risks that could affect your credit union. It evaluates threats, vulnerabilities, existing controls, and business impact to help leadership decide where to focus security investments and remediation efforts.

An IT Audit evaluates whether existing policies, procedures, governance practices, and technical controls are operating effectively and in compliance with regulatory expectations. The focus is on measuring the effectiveness of your current control environment rather than identifying new risks.

A useful analogy is to compare an IT risk assessment to creating a map of potential hazards before a journey, while an IT audit is like inspecting your vehicle to ensure it is ready for the trip. One helps you understand where risks exist, and the other confirms that your safeguards are functioning as intended.

Many credit unions benefit from both, as they provide complementary perspectives. Together, they help leadership strengthen governance, improve cybersecurity, support NCUA examinations, and better protect member information.

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