Community Banks & Credit Unions
Fortune 500 CIO and CISO Leadership - Built for the Demands of Your Regulators, Your Examiners, and Your Board.
The Challenge You Face
Your regulators, the OCC, FDIC, Federal Reserve, or NCUA, hold your institution to the same information security and technology governance standards as the largest banks in the country. Your examiners are looking for the same level of leadership, documentation, and program maturity they would expect at a $50 billion institution. But your budget is not the same.
Most community banks and credit unions address this gap the only way they can afford to: they promote an IT manager, rely on an MSP, or divide the responsibility across people who were never trained for it. The result is an institution that is technically operational but strategically exposed – vulnerable to examination findings, cybersecurity incidents, and the reputational damage that follows both.
The Regulatory Reality
The NCUA’s 2025 Supervisory Priorities designate cybersecurity as the agency’s top examination focus. Between September 2023 and May 2024, federally insured credit unions reported 892 cyber incidents – 73% of which involved a third-party service provider. The OCC cites information security control deficiencies as among the most common findings in community bank examinations. These are not distant risks. They are the operational reality your institution navigates every day. (Sources: NCUA Annual Report to Congress 2024; OCC Semiannual Risk Perspective)
Why Teremark CIO
Teremark CIO was built specifically for this gap. Our consultants are former Fortune 500 CIOs and CISOs, executives who built and led enterprise-scale technology and security organizations at institutions like USAA, where regulatory scrutiny, cybersecurity investment, and board-level governance are not optional. We bring that same caliber of leadership to your institution, deployed on your terms and priced to fit your budget.
We are 100% vendor-agnostic. We do not sell technology products, implement systems, or manage your infrastructure. We provide objective, unconflicted executive leadership – the same function your regulators expect you to have in place, delivered by executives who have done it at the highest level.
What Makes Teremark Different
Deep Regulatory Fluency
FFIEC IT Examination Handbook, NCUA information security examination standards, FTC Safeguards Rule, and OCC supervisory guidance are not reference materials for us. They are the frameworks our executives have operated under throughout their careers.
Direct Financial Institution Experience
Our President and CEO served as a CIO at USAA, one of the most technologically advanced and heavily regulated financial institutions in the United States, and as CIO & CISO at Ascend Federal Credit Union.
No Conflicts of Interest
We do not profit from the technology vendors or systems we recommend. Our advice is always in your institution's best interest.
Exam-ready From Day One
Our executives know how to build, document, and present information security programs in the language examiners use. When your next examination arrives, you will be ready.
Board-level Communication
We translate technology and security risk into plain language your board can understand, act on, and document in their minutes.
Services Summary
CIO Services
IT Strategy & Roadmap
Digital Transformation Leadership
Vendor & Core Processor Management
IT Budget & Financial Governance
IT Organization Assessment + Teremark CIO360™
CISO Services
Information Security Program Development
Design, build, and document a comprehensive information security program aligned to FDIC and NCUA examination standards, NIST CSF 2.0, and your institution’s specific risk profile. Your program will be built to satisfy your next examination and to protect your institution against the threats that matter most.
FDIC / NCUA Examination Preparation
Cybersecurity Risk Assessment
Incident Response Leadership
Board & Executive Cybersecurity Education
NCUA 72-Hour Incident Notification Support
When a reportable cyber incident occurs, the NCUA’s notification rule requires action within 72 hours. Teremark provides the executive leadership and documentation support to meet that obligation accurately and completely, protecting your institution from the additional regulatory exposure that comes from a late or incomplete notification.
Engagement Options
| Engagement Type | What Teremark Delivers | Best Suited For |
|---|---|---|
|
Technology Risk Assessment |
A 10-business-day structured review of your institution’s IT and security posture against FDIC/NCUA standards. Delivered as a scored gap report with a prioritized remediation roadmap. The standard first engagement. |
Institutions that have not had an independent technology review; institutions preparing for an upcoming examination. |
|
Fractional CIO or CISO |
Part-time executive leadership on a defined monthly schedule – typically 2 to 8 days per month – providing ongoing strategic oversight, board reporting, vendor management, and regulatory program stewardship. |
Institutions that need consistent CIO or CISO leadership but cannot justify or afford a full-time executive hire. |
|
Interim CIO or CISO |
Full-time executive leadership for a defined period — covering a vacancy, a major transformation initiative, or a regulatory remediation period. |
Institutions with a CIO or CISO vacancy; institutions undergoing core system replacement or major regulatory remediation. |
|
Examination Preparation Engagement |
A defined, fixed-scope engagement focused on preparing your information security or IT governance program for an upcoming OCC, FDIC, or NCUA examination. |
Institutions with a scheduled examination within 90-180 days; institutions that received findings in a prior examination. |
|
Advisory Retainer |
Monthly access to a senior Teremark executive for strategic guidance, board preparation, vendor review, and regulatory interpretation – on call when you need expert perspective. |
Institutions with existing IT leadership that needs senior advisory support; boards seeking independent technology oversight. |
|
Enterprise Project Leadership |
Executive leadership of a major technology initiative: core system conversion, digital banking platform implementation, cybersecurity program build-out, or merger technology integration. |
Institutions undertaking a multi-year transformation with no current executive capacity to lead it. |
We begin every client relationship with a conversation, not a sales pitch. In 30 minutes, we will assess whether your institution faces the technology or security gaps that most commonly generate examination findings, and we will tell you honestly what we see. No obligation. No jargon.
Testimonials
Testimonials are short quotes from people who love your brand. It’s a great way to convince customers to try your services.
— Jackson Davis, TINTW News
Engagement Options
|
Engagement Type |
What Teremark Delivers |
Best Suited For |
|
Technology Risk Assessment |
A 10-business-day structured review of your institution’s IT and security posture against FDIC/NCUA standards. Delivered as a scored gap report with a prioritized remediation roadmap. The standard first engagement. |
Institutions that have not had an independent technology review; institutions preparing for an upcoming examination. |
|
Fractional CIO or CISO |
Part-time executive leadership on a defined monthly schedule – typically 2 to 8 days per month – providing ongoing strategic oversight, board reporting, vendor management, and regulatory program stewardship. |
Institutions that need consistent CIO or CISO leadership but cannot justify or afford a full-time executive hire. |
|
Interim CIO or CISO |
Full-time executive leadership for a defined period — covering a vacancy, a major transformation initiative, or a regulatory remediation period. |
Institutions with a CIO or CISO vacancy; institutions undergoing core system replacement or major regulatory remediation. |
|
Examination Preparation Engagement |
A defined, fixed-scope engagement focused on preparing your information security or IT governance program for an upcoming OCC, FDIC, or NCUA examination. |
Institutions with a scheduled examination within 90-180 days; institutions that received findings in a prior examination. |
|
Advisory Retainer |
Monthly access to a senior Teremark executive for strategic guidance, board preparation, vendor review, and regulatory interpretation – on call when you need expert perspective. |
Institutions with existing IT leadership that needs senior advisory support; boards seeking independent technology oversight. |
|
Enterprise Project Leadership |
Executive leadership of a major technology initiative: core system conversion, digital banking platform implementation, cybersecurity program build-out, or merger technology integration. |
Institutions undertaking a multi-year transformation with no current executive capacity to lead it. |