SLIDE 18 Page 18 April 2014, SEC
issued first Risk Alert announcing cyber security initiative for broker-dealers and investment advisers.
2016, FinCEN
issues FAQs related for cyber- SARs.
March 2017,
NYS DFS new cybersecurity rules for covered financial institutions take effect.
Key Themes From Cybersecurity Regulatory Initiatives
Governance and Risk Assessments
- Regulators expect firms to perform risk assessments to understand the cyber threats to their organization, and
involve board and senior management cyber risk discussions. Safeguard Customer Data
- SEC registrants are required to follow Regulation S-P of the Securities Act, mandating protection of customer data
Breach Reporting
- In the event of a cyber breach, many states required reporting of breaches to state regulators. With many public
incidents, firms may also be required to notify customers if their information has been compromised. Periodic Testing
- Penetration and vulnerability tests are examples of probing the effectiveness of firm’s information security system. To
meet key regulatory requirements, firms are expected to periodically conduct such tests, either internally or through third parties. Potential AML Implications
- Certain incidents that involve cyber crimes may trigger SARs filing requirements. Financial institutions will be
expected to include cyber-related information and identifiers when filing such SRAs. Training
- Employee conduct (intentional or unintentional) tends to expose firms to cyber threats. Training and table top
exercises can mitigate this threat. February 2015, FINRA issues its report on
cybersecurity practices.
April 2015, NAIC adopts cybersecurity principles. August 2015, NFA adopts compliance rules around
information security systems.
September 2015, SEC issues Risk Alert identifying
areas of examination focus related to cybersecurity.
2000-2013,
Passage GLB, enactment and enforcement of Regulation S-P.
Evolution of Cybersecurity Regulation
Regulators initially addressed cybersecurity through risk alerts, guidance and examinations. More recently, regulators have issued formal cybersecurity rules for financial services firms