Articles | Compliance Week – Page 295
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Effective governance and the Three Lines of Defense
Compliance officers, internal auditors, fraud investigators, controllers—all of them might work at one company together to assist the business in managing risk. The trick to effective governance is to assign all those professionals (and more) to their proper places in the Three Lines of Defense model.
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Making CD&A Disclosure Meaningful
As compensation committees and securities lawyers gear up for the 2015 proxy season, honing a useful Compensation Discussion & Analysis will be a big part of filing the proxy statement. What are the latest trends in CD&A disclosure? Telling investors how their input has been incorporated into pay decisions, and ...
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It May Be Voluntary, but NIST Framework Is a Crucial Cyber-Security Tool
Each day, it seems another big-name company falls victim to a cyber-attack. The new framework for assessing the security flaws, developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, may be intended for critical-infrastructure companies, but other businesses may find that its guidance offers more help than the mélange of ...
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In 2015, ACA Compliance Will Be an Even Greater Challenge
Image: The Affordable Care Act may be a familiar headache for corporate compliance officers, but even the best-prepared companies can expect fresh pain in 2015. “There are going to be many that find themselves in at least technical non-compliance,” says John Haslinger of ADP. “They thought they understood it, but ...
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Due Diligence Practices in Emerging Markets
Compliance officers wondering how their peers manage third-party risks and where they focus due diligence efforts these days will want to take a look at a new report on those practices. Enhanced due diligence firm Arachnys studied where large companies perform due diligence research, and offered a peek at the ...
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Netflix Lawsuit a Lesson in Proper Internal Controls
Netflix is suing a former IT executive, alleging the man created a kickback scheme that netted him more than $500,000 as he executed contracts and approved invoices through sham arrangements with two vendors. Painful for Netflix, yes, but we have key lessons in segregation of duties and internal control worth ...
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Seasonal Employees Can Bring Not-So-Merry Risks
Image: For any company that depends on seasonal workers, don’t overlook the need to give that group compliance training. Even temporary workers need to review the Code of Conduct and have access to the reporting hotline. “There are no exemptions in what constitutes an effective compliance program ... for short-term ...
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Frameworks and Leadership on Cyber-Risks
As cyber-security attacks become everyday news, companies are racing to identify and mitigate their risks. Some of that is “pure” IT security; much of it is about applying a control framework smartly to new technologies—and empowering the right person to oversee these risks. “Companies ... for the most part are ...
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Companies Struggle Over When to Report They’ve Been Hacked
Image: When a company discovers that sensitive data has been compromised, two of the toughest decisions that it faces are whether and when to let regulators, customers, and the public know about the loss. While companies may be hesitant, government officials say they can help. “Getting search warrants, arrest warrants, ...
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ArticleAre Auditors Making Unnecessary Demands on Internal Control Documentation?
As many companies finish work on a new framework for internal controls, a small number of them are starting to question their external auditors’ documentation requirements and are considering pushing back. Lillian Barlett, vice president of risk management and internal audit at SunOpta, for example, says the documentation requests are ...
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Why Anti-Money Laundering Programs Aren’t Just for Banks Anymore
Image: After years of hunting money launderers by scrutinizing transaction at big banks, regulators are widening their nets to include luxury goods retailers, casinos, technology companies, and others. The Feds are holding more businesses accountable for questionable transactions and pushing those at risk to beef up AML compliance. “All companies, ...
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SEC Whistleblower Program’s Latest Threat: Its Success
Corporate compliance officers may have a new reason to be uncomfortable with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s whistleblower program: how well it appears to be working. Tips are flooding into the SEC, including 3,620 in fiscal year 2014 alone. “The SEC has institutionally embraced the whistleblower statute,” says Brian Kenney, ...
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Hidden Complexity in the New Rules for Revenue Recognition
Financial reporting and auditing experts are warning companies of surprises they may encounter as they continue to work their way through 700 pages of new accounting rules on how to recognize revenue in their financial statements beginning in 2017. The accounting standard update requires several new disclosures, for example. “There ...
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ArticleNew Bribery Index Aimed at Corporate Use
Companies have a new resource to help assess bribery and corruption risks in the countries where they operate, one that aims to be more meaningful to global companies than Transparency International’s widely used Corruption Perceptions Index. Trace International’s TRACE Matrix is intended specifically for corporate use, and it analyzes four ...
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CFPB Proposes New Rules for Prepaid Cards, Mobile Payments
Banks, retailers, online services, and others that issue prepaid cards to consumers will soon have some new rules to follow, including the need to conduct “ability to repay” assessments if they offer credit options. The rules, proposed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, could also bring new regulations to mobile ...
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Behind the Latest Push to Win Proxy Access for Shareholders
Image: Title: StringerThree years after a lawsuit scuttled the SEC’s proxy access rule, a new push is underway to give shareholders the right to nominate directors directly on the proxy. New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, on behalf of the $160 billion New York City pension funds, recently submitted proxy ...
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ArticleAre Your Business Partners Letting the Hackers In?
For Target, it was a heating and air conditioning company. At a large oil company it was a nearby Chinese restaurant. Hackers increasingly use third-party relationships to gain access to computer networks and steal data. The trend means that companies need to conduct even better due diligence on third-party relationships ...
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COSO Framework Has Applications Beyond Financial Reporting
Image: As companies put the finishing touches on the adoption of the updated framework for internal controls, many are realizing that there are hidden benefits to the work. Audit experts say there are several other areas where elements of the updated COSO framework can apply, such as divisional reporting, customer ...
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Antitrust Division to Increase Use of Probation in Enforcement
Image: Title: SnyderThe Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice has signaled a shift in its enforcement approach concerning companies that violate antitrust laws and don’t have effective compliance programs. During two recent speeches, Antitrust officials said they would seek court-supervised probation in such cases. “Conversely, companies that can demonstrate ...
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Making Codes of Conduct More Usable and Engaging
Image: Title: BanksMany companies are looking to breathe more life into their staid and dusty codes of conduct. They’re cutting out the legal language and paying more attention to design and usability. Some leading companies are putting them online with multi-media aspects, including videos. “You want to present information so ...