• Joint report from UK Finance and Parker Fitzgerald views the safeguarding of data as core to sustainable digital financial services
• Consideration of risk needs to be part of the financial services technological revolution, yet the speed and scale of digital transformation brings non-financial risks to the fore
• Essential that new technologies are integrated safely within existing operating models

The speed and scale of digital transformation within the financial services industry is contributing to the emergence of new non-financial risks, according to a new report published today. Sustainable Financial Services in the Digital Age, a joint report from UK Finance and Parker Fitzgerald, comes only days ahead of the introduction of the General Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR) and highlights the need for firms to consider their exposure to risk and operational resilience in today’s digital age.

The report outlines how adopting new technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, cloud computing and distributed ledger technology (DLT), will allow the financial services sector to develop new services and platforms to significantly reduce operational costs. Those organisations committed to full-scale transformation will be best placed to deliver the greatest benefits to customers and shareholders.

However, a failure to address emerging risks, as well as internal risk management processes, could lead to operational, as well as systemic, threats across the sector. At the core of sustainable digital finance is the management of operational risk and safeguarding of data, which are particularly poignant given the implementation of GDPR this week. For example, the growth of digital outsourcing via the cloud will allow companies to uncover new sources of efficiency, but this creates cyber vulnerabilities and emerging risks further ingrained within the business supply chain.

The report calls on the industry to collaborate with technology suppliers as well as domestic and cross-border regulators to create a risk framework that embraces the benefits of digital transformation with the following recommendations:

• Placing the safeguarding of data at the core of sustainable digital finance
• Closing the gap between incumbents’ digital aspirations and the reality of legacy IT estates
• Reviewing the integrity of fintech ‘component solutions’ being integrated into the supply chain

 Commenting on the report, Dan Crisp, Director of Technology & Digital at UK Finance, said:

“Given today’s ever-increasing threat of cyber-attacks and data protection violations, it’s vital that the financial services sector prioritises operational resilience – just having a firewall simply doesn’t cut it. The speed and scale of digital transformation makes it essential for new technologies to be integrated safely within existing operating models while minimising risk.

“This isn’t a zero-sum game; these risks are not isolated to specific organisations and financial services firms can harness innovation while simultaneously tackling these new challenges, through the analysis of operating models and building new risk frameworks. The industry is working hard to develop technology and water-tight risk programmes, but only collaboration with policymakers and regulators, both domestic and cross-border, will facilitate success.”

Matthew Hayday, Leading Partner, Global Technology Services at Parker Fitzgerald comments: 

“Digital transformation is both inevitable and necessary for the financial industry. A forward-looking agenda should highlight its impact on the industry’s risk landscape.

“To safeguard their organisations through the digital transformation journey, financial firms need to close the gap between their digital aspirations and the reality of their legacy IT estates. Key activities include reducing reliance on legacy systems, de-cluttering redundant systems, and using analytics to predict and quantify the impact of non-financial risks.

“Of particular importance to financial firms is understanding how future regulations can affect their digital transformation strategies, how key technologies can be safely adopted within their operating models, and how their risk frameworks can be adapted to take account of new risks and threat vectors arising from cyber and technology risk, as well as data privacy and protection considerations amplified by PSD2 and GDPR.”

To read the full report, visit the UK Finance website here.