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Bank compliance's changing difficulties in 2023: from AML to cybersecurity

March 05, 2024
2 Min Reads

The banking industry had significant compliance issues in 2023, with fines for violations in AML, KYC, and other regulatory areas totaling an astounding $6.6 billion.

Fenergo claims that this amount is a considerable rise over the $4.2 billion recorded in 2022, underscoring the growing significance of financial compliance and the dire repercussions of noncompliance.


Managing these risks is more important than just following the law. It is strategically imperative for banks to safeguard their financial stability and good name. The capacity to proficiently recognize, evaluate, and alleviate these risks is essential for preventing disruptions to operations and legal consequences.


The use of cutting-edge solutions, especially automation technology, is becoming more and more crucial in this high-stakes setting. These tools are strategic assets that simplify compliance procedures and make it easier to comply with the continuously changing regulatory environment. They are not only operational assistance.

 

In order to ensure regulatory compliance and reduce the risk of money laundering and terrorist funding, compliance risk management is essential, particularly in areas like KYC and AML. While AML efforts are focused on preventing money laundering through transaction monitoring and analysis, KYC compliance focuses on authenticating client identities and evaluating their financial conduct.


These controls reduce operational risk by stopping illicit activity, mitigate legal and regulatory risks to avoid fines and reputational harm, and protect society and the financial system from financial crimes, among other functions related to banking risk and compliance.

 

There are now six major compliance issues affecting the banking industry that need to be addressed immediately. These include compliance with AML, which entails severe fines for banks that fail to comply; Customer Due Diligence (CDD), which entails knowing customers' activities and risk profiles; cybersecurity and data privacy, which are critical for safeguarding sensitive client information; compliance with consumer protection laws, which mandates adhering to international sanctions; and compliance with regulatory reporting, which necessitates accurate and timely submission of regulatory reports.

 

For banks, there's more to risk management than just following the law. It's about upholding their operational integrity and fostering a culture of trust.


A thorough procedure that entails identifying important risks, gauging their possibility and possible impact, and creating mitigation plans is known as a banking risk assessment. This procedure, which addresses a variety of risk categories including compliance, credit, market, and operational risks, is essential for guaranteeing the bank's safe operation and safeguarding stakeholder interests.


Banks must emphasize the significance of a comprehensive strategy to risk management by taking into account broader macroeconomic and geopolitical issues that may have an impact on their operations.

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