Historically, the banking sector has always been plagued by vulnerabilities and risks. The global financial crisis of 2007 and 2008 is an indicator of this fact. Robust risk and compliance management programs and use of technology have helped banks to make good progress on the risk management front. While these control systems and risk management protocols are constantly evolving, operational risk always remains a concern.

Operating as a non-profit organization in an overly competitive and capitalism-first economy means that there is no shortage of obstacles. Non-profits are bound by unending public scrutiny coupled with strict government regulations because of the special financial privileges they enjoy. The tax-exempt status combined with access to public funding is two very good reasons why compliance, on all fronts, can’t be ignored.

Regulatory watchdogs around the world served stiff penalties in 2020, with major financial institutions being asked to own up for their deficiencies and malpractices. Citigroup faced a $400 million fine for risk management shortfalls, JP Morgan was charged $920 million for illicit market activity, Westpac agreed to a record fine of AUD 1.3 billion for anti-money laundering breaches, Goldman Sachs was fined $2.9 billion in connection with the 1MDB scandal, and Wells Fargo saw a huge $3 billion penalty for he fraudulent account fiasco.

Internal audit plays a crucial role in guiding an organization with key insights on corporate governance and suggest improvements on improving compliance, reducing risks, boosting efficiency, and enhancing regular operations. It probes into soft spots and critical business areas and reports to senior management within the organization.

The year 2021 ushers in a new decade of business change, especially considering the roller-coaster that 2020 was. As organizations move forward, there are various compliance challenges both new and old that compliance officers must come to terms with. Compliance refers to playing according to the rule book, so amid geo-political changes, data privacy concerns, questions on operational resilience, and cybercrime threats, there is new interest in policy and regulatory mandates.

With digitization of services progressing at a relentless pace, businesses are storing large volume of customer data . But with sensitive information being routinely handled by service providers and third-party associates, there is a pressing need for increased information security. Data breaches and cybercrime too are a threat to security. In such a scenario, it is not uncommon for clients to want an independent review of your internal controls for data security prior to partnering with you, especially if you are a SaaS organization.

Cyber threats have grown from being plausible to probable. With organizations becoming more dependent on the internet, social media, and digitization, exposure to cyber risk has also increased manifold. Today, cyber security is among the top priorities of organizations world-wide simply because a cyber-attack can leave your organization in a dilapidated state – untethered from information systems and unable to provide services, owning a handful of compromised data, and staring at massive reputation loss.

Proper policies are integral to the good governance of any organization. Clear and actionable policies, for instance, a cybersecurity policy or an employee safety policy define the boundaries of employee conduct and set the stage for a compliant workplace.

It is an exciting time for us at VComply! We raised $6 Million in Series A funding to expand VComply’s mission to build one of the most intuitive and innovative Governance, Risk, and Compliance platforms in the market. Counterpart Ventures led the round with participation from our current investor Accel Partners.