Experts say DORA compliance not coming easy as more firms pass buck to IT providers
New rules have come into effect across the European Union to promote better cybersecurity and IT resilience across the financial services sector, but experts warn that compliance is likely to be patchy and regulatory enforcement across the bloc perhaps even patchier.
Cannabis company dinged by SEC over ‘round-trip’ transfer to inflate year-end cash
A cannabis company agreed to pay $225,000 to settle allegations that funds were temporarily deposited into its year-end accounts for the sole purpose of inflating year-end cash, the Securities and Exchange Commission said.
Experts unsure of risk appetite as EU beefs up cyber rules for critical infrastructure
New rules on cyber risk management across the EU put execs firmly in the crosshairs for noncompliance and are likely to apply to a wider range of organizations than many business leaders may initially think. However, there are also concerns that the rules may become muddled across the wide bloc.
TPRM critical as DORA, new FCA third-party engagement rules come into effect in 2025
New rules that push IT firms providing “critical” services to the U.K.’s financial sector to share more data about cyberattacks and resiliency measures have been welcomed by industry experts. However, concerns remain over how suppliers will be classified and how key data might be gathered and shared.
Data analytics in compliance: Time to get started, or expand, in 2025
Launching or expanding a corporate data analytics program for compliance can seem like a daunting task, but it is one worth adding to your to-do list in 2025.
Survey: Organizations broadly adopting AI, with varied governance
The majority of businesses are using AI and doing so without governance–a compliance gap that poses extreme risks, a new survey by Compliance Week and GAN Integrity found. A webinar will discuss why it is crucial to have AI governance, how to implement it, and what strategies to strengthen programs.
German firm Aiotec to pay $14.5M to settle Iran sanctions violation
German petrochemical parts supplier Aiotec agreed to pay $14.5 million to settle allegations that it engaged in a four-year conspiracy to dismantle and ship a plastics manufacturing plant owned by a U.S. company to Iran, in violation of U.S. sanctions.
Top ethics and compliance failures of 2024
The biggest Compliance Fails of 2024 show the real-world consequences of noncompliance for the companies that faltered, but also for their customers and their employees.
FINRA fines Morgan Stanley $1M for alleged documentation failures
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority fined broker-dealer Morgan Stanley $1 million over alleged documentation failures related to risk management controls and supervisory procedures involving violations of the Market Access Rule.
Meta discloses potential CFPB lawsuit following probe into advertising, disclosure practices
Meta disclosed in a public filing that an investigation by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau related to financial product advertising on platforms Instagram and WhatsApp may lead to a lawsuit.
WisdomTree pays $4M SEC fine for including fossil fuel, tobacco securities in ESG funds
Fund management company WisdomTree will pay $4 million to settle allegations by the Securities and Exchange Commission that it improperly invested in fossil fuel and tobacco companies in environmental, social and governance (ESG) funds despite promising to avoid them.
Keys to a successful GenAI use policy: Clear roles, training, vendor management
For all the hype surrounding generative artificial intelligence, the technology has been met with a healthy skepticism in the compliance community. Compliance practitioners want to know: Is it safe? Can it be deployed ethically? Are the risks greater than the rewards? And what should an AI acceptable use policy contain?
Raytheon parent RTX settles false claims, defective pricing, Qatar FCPA violations for $950M
The other shoe finally dropped for Raytheon and parent company RTX, as two U.S. regulators announced nearly $1 billion in penalties to settle defective pricing in defense contracts, false claims related to inflated prices on government contracts, and bribes paid to government officials in Qatar that violated the FCPA.
DOJ orders Wynn Las Vegas to forfeit $130M over BSA/AML violations
Wynn Las Vegas agreed to forfeit $130 million to settle a range of criminal allegations, including allegedly helping foreign customers hide money transfers and shielding patrons from Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering rules, the Department of Justice said.
Bank of America unit reaches $3M settlement with FINRA over surveillance lapses
A subsidiary of Bank of America agreed to pay $3 million and take remedial measures to resolve allegations that its surveillance system didn’t detect manipulative trading, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority said.
Nordea Bank to pay $35M to resolve NYDFS probe into AML shortcomings
Finland-based Nordea Bank will pay $35 million to resolve an investigation by the New York Department of Financial Services into “significant compliance failures” in its anti-money laundering and Bank Secrecy Act program.
CPE Webcast: Third party due diligence: A practical deep dive
A corporate code of conduct can be internally enforced, but how do you ensure third parties measure up to your values and requirements?
How are you keeping up? The adoption of AI in compliance
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the business landscape, and this is especially true for anyone working in compliance. But while AI offers immense potential to streamline processes, enhance decision-making, and mitigate risks, it also introduces a new set of challenges that compliance professionals must navigate.
U.K. forced labor ruling raises bar for supply chain monitoring
Companies will need to tighten up how they monitor their supply chains after a recent U.K. ruling determined that corporates could be open to money laundering charges if they fail to act in cases where they believe there is a risk of forced labor.
ICO proposes $7.8M fine against NHS contractor in warning to IT providers
The U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office proposed a 6.1 million pound (U.S. $7.8 million) fine against Advanced Computer Software Group, an IT contractor for the National Health Service that allegedly failed to secure the data of 83,000 people after a cyberattack.
LexisNexis survey: Compliance costs soared for U.K. banks in 2023
Nearly all but a tiny minority of financial institutions saw their costs of financial crime compliance rise in 2023, a survey by LexisNexis and Oxford Economics found.
DORA set to enhance cyber resilience requirements for EU financial firms
The European Union’s Digital Operational Resilience Act, which is set to take effect next year, will require financial services firms to implement stronger measures to protect not only themselves from disruption caused by cyberattacks but also the sector as a whole.
Banking regs issue guidance on risks posed by bank-fintech relationships
Three federal banking regulators issued guidance on the risks posed by the use of third-party financial technology firms to deliver bank deposit products and services to customers.
DOJ orders Admera Health to pay $5.5M to settle kickback allegations
Admera Health agreed to pay more than $5.5 million to resolve allegations first brought by two whistleblowers that it paid kickbacks to third-party contractors, the Department of Justice said.
Risk visibility striking fear in companies onboarding new customers
A lack of risk visibility is causing companies to reject customers–and potentially lose money–over fears they might be in danger of violating rules around anti-money laundering and sanctions regulations.
FTC wants answers from Mastercard, JPMorgan, others on use of AI to collect data
Eight large companies, including Mastercard and JPMorgan Chase, have been ordered by the Federal Trade Commission to provide detailed reports about their possibly secret use of artificial intelligence to track customers and use the information to set prices.
Green Dot fined $44M by Fed over compliance deficiencies, deceptive practices
The Federal Reserve Board of Governors fined financial technology and bank holding company Green Dot $44 million for numerous unfair and deceptive practices and a deficient consumer compliance risk management program.
FINRA fines UBS unit $850K for failing to properly monitor customer transactions
UBS Financial Services, a subsidiary of the Swiss banking giant UBS, has been fined $850,000 for failing to properly monitor transactions between its broker-dealers and third parties.
How fintechs can overcome major compliance hurdles in embedded finance
Margaret Holmes Tibbets, chief compliance officer at financial technology company Pipe, explains how firms are facing an existential compliance crisis, and to survive they’ll need to overcome not one but two hurdles.
Banks must bolster awareness of fintech partner risks, experts advise at Fordham
During a panel at Compliance Week’s Financial Crimes and Regulatory Compliance Summit, held June 10-11 in New York, experts discussed nuances in bank-financial technology partnerships, offering best practices for how banks should protect themselves.
Mondo TV reaches $538K settlement with OFAC over N. Korea sanctions violations
Italy-based Mondo TV agreed to pay $538,000 to settle charges with the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control over 18 apparent violations of North Korea sanctions regulations.
DOE offers supply chain cybersecurity guidance for energy, oil, gas industries
The U.S. Department of Energy released supply chain cybersecurity principles meant to help strengthen key technologies used to manage and operate electricity, oil, and natural gas systems.
OFAC sanctions nearly 50 entities for ‘shadow banking’ benefiting Iranian military
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned nearly 50 entities connected with so-called “shadow banking” networks that help Iran’s military evade U.S. sanctions and to sell the country’s oil and petrochemical products.
SpongeBob game developer ordered to pay $500K over CCPA, COPPA violations
Popular children’s mobile game developer Tilting Point Media agreed to pay $500,000 to settle allegations the company illegally collected children’s personal data, a violation under the California Consumer Privacy Act and a federal children’s privacy law.
OCC emphasizes compliance’s role in FI’s operational resiliency
Compliance departments at financial institutions must become more involved in ensuring their firm’s operational resiliency to address emerging risks, the Treasury Department’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said in its semi-annual risk perspective.
CPE Webcast: Digital Operational Resilience Act: Key provisions and best practices
This presentation will provide an overview of the key provisions of DORA and their implications for Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) teams, list best practices for DORA preparation and review key considerations for teams looking to implement the DORA framework.
Top-of-mind takeaways from TPRM Summit
Top-of-mind issues addressed at Compliance Week’s Third-Party Risk Management & Oversight Summit, held June 3-4 in Atlanta, included safe deployment of artificial intelligence, assessing vendor viability and sustainability, understanding the role of procurement in risk ranking, the intersection (or lack thereof) between data privacy and cybersecurity, and many others.
Washington state importer ordered to hire CCO in response to Lacey Act violations
A Washington state importer has been ordered by the Department of Justice to pay a $360,000 fine and hire a chief compliance officer after imported wood items the company claimed to be from Malaysia were found to be from China.
BIS’s Axelrod makes plea to financial services: ‘We want to work with you’
Matthew Axelrod, assistant secretary for export enforcement at the Bureau of Industry and Security, addressed efforts to reach financial services firms, working with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and more during his fireside chat at CW’s Financial Crimes Summit.
Additions to UFLPA Entity List signal seafood supply chain risks
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security added three China-based entities across the seafood, aluminum, and footwear industries to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List.
Panelists break down robust sanctions landscape at TPRM Summit
Sanctions compliance officers face myriad challenges as complex geopolitical situations heighten risks worldwide, experts discussed during Compliance Week’s Third-Party Risk Management & Oversight Summit.
Experts: AI risk mitigation second nature for compliance professionals
Compliance has been “sleeping on” artificial intelligence, two panelists discussed at Compliance Week’s Women in Compliance Summit. The profession should be positioned to lead on AI governance at the business level.
Hyundai Motor caught in DOL complaint over child labor
The Department of Labor sued three Alabama businesses, including a Hyundai Motor manufacturing plant, for employing a 13-year-old worker on an auto parts assembly line.
Revamped compliance processes key Albemarle win as Compliance Program of the Year
For successfully navigating thorny compliance issues related to self-disclosed violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Albemarle was named Compliance Program of the Year at the 2024 Excellence in Compliance Awards.
Creative engagement approach drives Compliance Innovators Johnson, Sudo
Through clever rhymes and real-life examples, Sharon Johnson and Heather Sudo of MODE Global have made it their mission to think outside the box when it comes to compliance awareness. Their approach earned them Compliance Innovator(s) of the Year at the 2024 Excellence in Compliance Awards.
Lemont National, Comerica Bank unit avoid penalties in separate OCC deals
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency reached agreements with Lemont National Bank and Comerica Bank & Trust over concerns related to risk governance practices.
Senate report cites VW, BMW, JLR for potential forced labor violations
A U.S. Senate report found three European automakers—Volkswagen, BMW, and Jaguar Land Rover—sold cars in the United States with parts sourced from a supplier suspected of using forced labor from China’s Xinjiang region.
UFLPA Entity List nearly doubles with textile industry sweep
The Department of Homeland Security announced its largest batch of additions to the list of companies blocked under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in the form of a sweep of the Chinese textile industry.
NYDFS offers cyber rule compliance template for small businesses
The New York State Department of Financial Services issued guidance for small businesses attempting to comply with its cybersecurity regulations.
CW2024 panel: TPRM board buy-in earned through impact, activity
Identifying critical measures for third-party risk management has become vitally important as risk professionals face an uphill battle in fighting for resources, experts discussed at Compliance Week’s 2024 National Conference.