The trend in Big Data analytics among companies shows no sign in abating, with companies covetously collecting vast amounts of data with the hopes of harvesting market differentiators. A study by open-source research firm Wikibon, for instance, forecasts an annual Big Data software growth rate of 45% through 2017. But…
Any company that uses information technology is a potential target for data theft, advanced malware and other cyber threats. Cyber threats have emerged as a growing systemic risk particularly to the financial sector in which Financial Market Infrastructures (“FMIs”) are increasingly under attack from a wide range of players, at…
A recent survey of over 1,200 of the top mobile apps in 19 countries by the Global Privacy Enforcement Network (“GPEN”) has found that 85% of the apps reviewed were non-compliant, failing to provide even the most basic privacy information to users. In addition, 43% failed in their obligation to…
It isn’t often that a supplier “fires” its customer, but it’s not unknown. I have worked with two clients recently whose suppliers have given notice of termination without cause. How can you avoid or, if it does happen, manage through a supplier-initiated termination? Obviously, the best position from a customer’s…
Quantitative measures of supplier performance in the form of service levels are critical in any outsourcing relationship. However, they provide an incomplete picture of how well the supplier is performing and meeting the client’s business and IT objectives. A common complaint is that the service levels are green each month,…
In July, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA – the financial regulatory body in the United Kingdom) issued a paper titled “Considerations for firms thinking of using third-party technology (off-the-shelf) banking solutions” (the Considerations). The Considerations contain about five pages of checklist “Areas of interest” and related notes, which are stated…
It seems intuitive that, by and large, employees prefer to use their own mobile devices, carrying only a single device for personal and work purposes, and having choice over the device to be used (please don’t take away my iPhone). There has also been a hypothesis that there could be…
The UK financial services regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has launched a guidance consultation in order to clarify and confirm its approach to the supervision of financial promotions in social media, including the use of character-limited forms (Examples of character-limited formats are Twitter (which limits tweets to 120 characters)…
In May earlier this year, the European Union’s top court held in favor of an individual who requested that Google remove the search results associated with his name. In this particular case, a Spanish citizen requested that Google Spain remove an auction notice of his repossessed home from its search…
Ofcom has published a call for input, entitled “Promoting investment and innovation in the Internet of Things“, regarding issues that might affect the development of the emerging Internet of Things (IoT) sector in the United Kingdom. Ofcom is the UK’s independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industry.…