The future of surveillance: Integrating eComms and trade
Recent enforcement actions highlight a critical shift in regulatory focus, emphasising the importance of modern eComms surveillance systems. A notable example is the substantial penalties imposed on major Wall Street banks for failures in record-keeping related to unauthorised messaging apps, notably WhatsApp. In August 2023, U.S. regulators announced a collective fine of $549 million, after a groundbreaking package of fines worth more than $2 billion in September 2022.
While these enforcement actions have been predominantly U.S.-centric, there is a growing expectation that global regulators will take note and initiate their own investigations. This international ripple effect underscores the need for a proactive approach in upgrading eComms surveillance, moving beyond mere compliance to a more robust, integrated surveillance strategy.
The recent eComms enforcement cases have often revealed deficiencies in the context of broader market abuse investigations. While these deficiencies did not directly establish instances of market abuse, they indicated a lack of adequate configuration in surveillance systems to detect such malpractices if they were to occur. In many instances, these fines were attributed to systemic failures in controlling and monitoring mechanisms, which significantly impeded the regulators’ ability to identify and demonstrate market abuse.
Current technological limitations hinder the full integration and effective utilisation of eComms data, particularly in using it with trade data. This lack of integration leaves some breadth and depth in surveillance yet to be unlocked. An integrated surveillance system that effectively combines eComms and trade data can provide a much-needed 360-degree view, enhancing both detection capabilities and regulatory compliance.
Challenges
Integrating trade and eComms surveillance into a unified system presents a range of complex challenges:
Data
The integration of diverse data sources is a substantial undertaking. Financial firms deal with a mix of structured data, like trade logs, and unstructured data, such as emails and instant messages. This disparity requires sophisticated systems capable of processing and analysing varied data formats. Additionally, the sheer volume of data, compounded by the rapid expansion of communication channels, presents a significant logistical hurdle. The task involves not just collecting and storing this data but also ensuring its accessibility for effective surveillance.
For information on how our data-agnostic platform can ingest and analyse both structured and unstructured data as part of a holistic compliance strategy, get in touch.
Privacy
Balancing effective eComms surveillance with privacy is a delicate task. Firms must navigate various privacy laws and regulations, which can vary significantly across jurisdictions, whilst still maintaining the effectiveness of the surveillance systems. These challenges are not only relevant during surveillance, but also in recordkeeping - how, where and when the data is stored needs to work for surveillance and privacy purposes.
Surveillance and detection
One of the most intricate aspects of integrating eComms and trade surveillance systems is the identification of meaningful signals amidst vast amounts of data. Criminal activities are often discussed using complex, coded words and phrases, and trade activity is disguised and complex, making detection a highly nuanced task. Surveillance systems need to be intelligent enough to identify potential red flags from these deliberately distorted views. Moreover, the issue of false positives - where innocent communications are flagged as suspicious - can lead to unnecessary investigations and resource drain. Developing systems that can accurately distinguish between legitimate and illicit activities is crucial for effective surveillance, but is an almost inevitable challenge when experimenting with new techniques.
For more on our trade surveillance solution, click here.
Opportunities
The integration of eComms and trade surveillance systems, despite its challenges, opens up significant opportunities for financial firms:
Enhanced ability to detect market abuse
Integrating eComms with trade data provides a richer, more contextual information set, enabling firms to detect subtle signs of market manipulation that might otherwise go unnoticed. An integrated system can correlate communication patterns with trade activities, uncovering potential market abuses that are more complex and harder to detect. This enhanced detection capability could be crucial in an environment where market manipulators are continually evolving their tactics.
Compliance and reputation management
In the wake of hefty fines and heightened regulatory scrutiny, an integrated surveillance system serves as a critical tool for compliance. By effectively monitoring both eComms and trade data, firms can significantly reduce the risk of non-compliance and the associated financial penalties. Moreover, demonstrating a commitment to comprehensive surveillance can enhance a firm’s reputation.
Operational efficiency
Currently, many firms rely on manual processes to tie their eComms and trade data together during investigations, which can be time-consuming and prone to human error. An integrated system automates these processes, significantly reducing the time and resources needed for surveillance. This efficiency not only reduces operational costs but also allows compliance teams to focus on more strategic tasks, such as analysing trends and refining surveillance techniques.
The future of surveillance - one step at a time
As criminal activities become more sophisticated, leveraging modern communication and automation technologies, firms must reassess their surveillance capabilities. For many, this means upgrading their eComms and Trade Surveillance systems separately to manage immediate compliance risks. For those at the beginning of their technology transformation, gradual changes ensure responsible and sustainable progress.
The future of surveillance, shaped by emerging technologies like AI, is rapidly evolving. This future is likely to embrace the interconnected nature of our globalised, digital world, linking once disparate data within systems capable of interpreting their collective implications.
