Entries by IFI

Lessons from the Flight Deck

Automation and artificial intelligence, including machine learning, have the potential to provide significant benefits within financial services – however they must be implemented responsibly. In this article, we draw on the use of automation in other sectors such as aviation, review key global regulations, and examine regulatory enforcement actions, to identify best practices for responsible use of AI in compliance.

Adapting to Digital Assets Risks

In our recent webinar, “Mastering Compliance in Digital Assets through Multi-Tiered Defense Strategies,” industry leaders examined the intricacies of digital asset compliance. Featuring a panel of industry experts including Andrew Rosenberg, Elizabeth Severinovskaya, and Catherine Woods, this blog post summarizes the key insights shared during the event.

Working Together to Fight Transnational Financial Crime

The transnational nature of criminal networks, cross-border financial flows, and sometimes the international nature of crimes themselves, mean a unified response between the public, private sector, and “third sector” is critical. This article uses the example of human trafficking to identify the capabilities of each sector and how they can achieve the greatest effect by working together.

The Convergence of Sanctions & AML

The convergence of sanctions and anti-money laundering efforts has significantly accelerated since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. FINTRAC in June 2024 released a special bulletin focusing on financial activity associated with suspected sanctions evasion. The report highlighted shared methodologies and insights to help compliance teams collaborate on best practices.

Three Lines of Defense: Case Study

The “three lines of defense” model is a widely recognized approach for effectively managing financial crime and regulatory risk. But how does it work in practice? This article explores how the three lines of defense applies using client due diligence as a real-life case study.

Targeting Russia’s IT Dependencies

Delve into the recent determination issued by OFAC, which imposes significant additional restrictions on the provision to Russia of IT consultancy and design services as well as IT support and cloud-based services of enterprise management and design and manufacturing software. Multinational tech corporations, financial institutions, and other companies still operating in Russia will likely require licenses to continue operating there.

Crypto Under the Microscope

In the fast-evolving digital assets market, compliance is not just a regulatory requirement—it’s a strategic imperative. From Binance’s multi-billion-dollar settlement to the dramatic collapse of FTX, recent enforcement actions have sent shockwaves through the industry, underscoring the critical need for a robust compliance system.

Three Lines of Defense

The “three lines of defense” is a well-established model for implementing an organizational structure to effectively manage financial crime risk and regulatory compliance. Explore the three lines of defense, their responsibilities and the advantages of the three line model in this article.

Embracing Emerging Technologies through Capability Development

Risk is perceived to be higher when a subject area is unfamiliar, which is particularly likely for emerging technologies and products. One solution is to develop the capability of staff through training and experience, where Chief Compliance Officers can utilize partners to support upskilling and augment internal capability where required. Digital assets provide a good case study: detailed knowledge within financial institution compliance and business teams to manage risks while enabling business growth.

Corruption in Construction

Corruption in the construction sector can include everything from fraud, to extortion, embezzlement, and other abuses. Corruption doesn’t just undermine good governance; it endangers lives and threatens the reputation of any financial institution involved in construction projects that are rife with fraud and abuse. How can government organizations and financial institutions mitigate corruption risks when funding or supporting infrastructure projects? How can they detect suspicious transactions?