It’s hard to believe it’s been 15 years since the global financial crisis of 2007/2008. While this might be a blast from the past we’d rather leave in the proverbial rear-view mirror, in March of 2023 we were back to the future with the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), the largest US bank to fail since 2008.
While there are clear reasons SVB collapsed, which can be reviewed here, my purpose in this post isn’t to rehash the past but to present some of the regulatory and compliance challenges financial (and to some degree insurance) institutions face and how data plays a role in mitigating and managing risk. There will inevitably be another global financial crisis, but robust data capabilities allow institutions globally to better adapt to regulations, implement compliance strategies, and predict risk. It’s a future state worth investing in. I’m reminded of a quote by Dr. Emmett Brown in Back To The Future, Part III: “Marty, the future isn’t written. It can be changed…you know that. Anyone can make their future whatever they want it to be.”
Well, sort of.
The opportunities are great, but so are the challenges
To make that future a reality, regulatory challenges confronting banks and insurance companies demand a constant reassessment of compliance strategies and operational frameworks. From stringent data protection measures to complex risk management protocols, institutions must not only adapt to regulatory shifts but also proactively anticipate emerging requirements, as well as predict negative outcomes.
To get there, institutions need to navigate some serious challenges, including:
- Technological innovation: New technologies, such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and data processing, can present difficulties for compliance departments and industry regulators, especially the risk and compliance requirements associated with data, infrastructure, and security.
- Regulatory compliance: Compliance has become a significant challenge due to the increasing number of regulations that banks and insurance companies must adhere to. Global bodies such as the Financial Stability Board (FSB), the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS), and the Basel Committee for Banking Supervision (BCBS) all impact the work of national regulators, and ultimately compliance within the institution. On top of these, each nation has its own list of regulations.
- Cybersecurity and data privacy: As news of data breaches become increasingly common, resulting in elevated privacy concerns, regulatory and compliance standards are becoming more stringent. Financial institutions must navigate a complex landscape of privacy laws, such as GDPR, the UK Data Protection Act 2018, and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). They are also subject to the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), which is the European Union’s regulation aiming to strengthen the IT security of financial entities such as banks, insurance companies, and investment firms, and ensure that the financial sector in Europe is resilient against cyber threats and operational disruptions.
- Fintech and regulatory arbitrage: The rise of fintech firms poses challenges for financial regulation authorities, as these entities may be subject to little or no oversight. This can lead to regulatory arbitrage, where firms, including banks, engage in activities that exploit loopholes or the differences in regulatory standards between jurisdictions.
- Risk management and governance: Regulators are increasingly focusing on risk governance, risk sustainability, and the detection, mitigation, tracking, and remediation of threat actors. Financial institutions must demonstrate robust risk accountability and governance, as well as maintain consumer protections.
- Cultural shift and technology adoption: Traditional banks and insurance companies must adapt to the emergence of fintech firms and changing business models. This requires a shift towards a technology-first attitude and the adoption of digital solutions to address industry challenges.
- TBTM (too big to manage): A financial institution is TBTM when growth and complexity hinder effective oversight and the ability to manage complex operations. Institutions deemed TBTM may face added regulatory scrutiny as they are viewed to inevitably have persistent weaknesses and commit repeat offenses.
- AI Regulation: The most notable, the European Union’s AI Act, focuses on the safe, responsible, fair, and transparent use of AI technologies. The EU’s initial objectives aim to “ensure that AI systems placed on the Union market and used are safe and respect existing law on fundamental rights and Union values; ensure legal certainty to facilitate investment and innovation in AI; enhance governance and effective enforcement of existing law on fundamental rights and safety requirements applicable to AI systems and facilitate the development of a single market for lawful, safe and trustworthy AI applications and prevent market fragmentation.”
Seeing the future in a modern data architecture
The key to successfully navigating these challenges lies in the adoption of a modern data architecture. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and an efficient framework for managing, analyzing, and securing data, financial institutions can streamline operations and enhance their ability to meet compliance requirements efficiently, while maintaining a strong focus on risk management.
Some of the key benefits of a modern data architecture for regulatory compliance include:
- Enhanced data governance and compliance: Modern data architecture incorporates data governance practices and security controls to ensure data privacy, regulatory compliance, and protection against unauthorized access or breaches.
- Improved data accessibility: By providing self-service data access and analytics, modern data architecture empowers business users and data analysts to analyze and visualize data, enabling faster decision-making and response to regulatory requirements.
- Data integration and ingestion: With robust data integration capabilities, a modern data architecture makes real-time data ingestion from various sources—including structured, unstructured, and streaming data, as well as external data feeds—a reality.
- Scalability and future-proofing: Modern data architecture offers robust data integration capabilities, allowing efficient and real-time data ingestion from various sources, including structured databases, unstructured data, streaming data, and external data feeds.
- Collaboration and communication: Modern data architecture fosters cooperation among data engineers, data scientists, and operations teams, leading to more efficient deployment, monitoring, and maintenance of data pipelines. This results in enhanced efficiency in compliance processes.
- Risk management and compliance: By leveraging advanced analytics techniques and providing real-time insights, modern data architecture helps financial institutions better manage risk and maintain compliance.
- Regulatory reporting: A modern data architecture can support banks, financial services firms, and insurers in meeting changing regulatory reporting requirements by providing a comprehensive and efficient framework for data governance, management, and analysis.
The promise of a modern data architecture might seem like a distant reality, but we at Cloudera believe data can make what is impossible today, possible tomorrow. By implementing a modern data architecture with Cloudera Data Platform (CDP), financial and insurance institutions can effectively address the challenges posed by the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape and ensure compliance with global and national regulations.