“TOP READS OF THE WEEK” (for week ending 17 September)

This week’s top reads in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT, risk management and much more

In this weeks selection;

Top Reads

• At Fault or Default? Lessons in Leadership We Can Learn from the Collapse of Kabul
• JPMorgan's UK digital bank set to launch Tuesday
• IOSCO calls on asset managers and intermediaries for stronger AI and ML processes
• Pandemic-led AP workarounds unfit for future of hybrid working, adviser warns
• McKinsey on Risk, Number 11, August 2021
• 8 Helpful Everyday Examples of Artificial Intelligence
• How do Mid-Sized banks compete with Fintech
• Bank of America to scrap CMO role after top marketer leaves this year
• JPMorgan to buy majority stake in Volkswagen's payments business
• 'Big game hunters': Ransomware groups target their perfect victim
• Bank of America names new CFO, adds 3 women to senior management
• Eight Emerging Technologies That Are Shaping FinTech Industry In 2021
• Gartner: AI is moving fast and will be ready for prime time sooner than you think
• Alipay break-up is power grab by China's government
• Apple releases emergency patch to protect all devices against Pegasus spyware
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Artificial Intelligence: How To Use AI in Your Business
• FiVerity: The Outsized Value Of Collaboration In The Fight Against Cyber Fraud
• WFH is a cybersecurity "ticking time bomb," according to a new report
• Banks delay return to office as delta variant surges
• Boards rethink incident response playbook as ransomware surges
• Cryptocurrency Payment Gateways to The Future
• How Digital Transformation Is Revolutionizing Digital Finance
• Crypto Kid Fraudster Gets 7 1/2-Years for Ponzi Scheme
• U.S. cash payment kiosks rise despite digital age

From our Blog

• Apple’s Big September News - iPhone 13, Apple Watch Series 7 and iPad Mini
• Hundreds of iPhones Are in ‘Ted Lasso.’ They’re More Strategic Than You Think
• China Seeks to Break Up Alipay, Separate Loan Business
• Why Your Uber and Lyft Rides Are So Expensive

“TOP READS OF THE WEEK” (for week ending 10 September)

This week’s top reads in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT, risk management and much more

In this weeks selection;

Top Reads

• Amazon takes Visa battle to Australia
• Regulators Investigate Crypto-Exchange Developer Uniswap Labs
• SPAC IPOs plunged 87% during Q2 amid tougher SEC scrutiny
• The SEC Is Serious About Cybersecurity. Is Your Company?
• What Traditional Banks Can Learn From Fintech Apps’ Explosive Growth
• One size does not fit all: the Rubik’s Cube of banking
• Cross-border payments set to soar as the world begins to emerge from lockdown
• Developing Real-Time Payment Capabilities
• The future of payments in the Middle East
• The Latest Trends in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)
• WhatsApp fined $235,000 by Turkey over alleged data breach
• 97% of Banks Miss These 9 Broken Journeys
• Crypto’s Rapid Move Into Banking Elicits Alarm in Washington
• Bitcoin Faces Big Test as El Salvador Makes It Legal Tender
• FinTech–shaping the future for the better (Part-II)
• Wallets Are Over. Your Phone Is Your Everything Now.
• SEC fines Kraft Heinz $62M, says procurement misled finance team
• After years of inaction against adtech, UK’s ICO calls for browser-level controls to fix ‘cookie fatigue’
• Amazon takes Visa battle to Australia
• What ransomware negotiations look like
• Remote workers complicate CFOs' state sales tax compliance
• Top Performing Artificial Intelligence (AI) Companies of 2021

From our Blog

• What El Salvador's Bitcoin Experiment Looks Like
• What are the Potential Pitfalls for Merchants Offering BNPL?
• Apple Store vs. Repair Shop: What the Right to Repair Is All About
• SEC sets its sights on the crypto “Wild West”
• Why China’s Tough Stance on Crypto Mining Is a Boon for Miners Elsewhere...

“TOP READS OF THE WEEK” (for week ending 3 September)

This week’s top reads in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT, risk management and much more

In this weeks selection;

Top Reads

• Why a ban on ransom payments will not work
• The Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Hackers Had a Secret Weapon: Self-Promoting Cybersecurity Firms
• Bank Of America Is Losing Its Grip On Millennials As Fintechs Reinvent The Checking Account
• What Insurance Firms Promised at White House Cybersecurity Summit
• Are global investors finally rising to the ESG challenge?
• For bank regulators, tech giants are now too big to fail
• Amazon taps Affirm for installment financing
• Crypto ATMs multiply despite challenges to the currency
• Bank regulators issue guidance on partnering with fintechs
• 10 Factors That Will Determine Banks' Future Relevance
• Madoff trustee can seek $343M clawback against Citi, court says
• U.S. banks give embedded finance a whirl. Will it catch on?
• Crypto platforms need regulation to survive, says SEC boss
• Fed finds businesses eager for faster payments
• A Very Brief History Of The Driving Factors Behind Cybersecurity
• PayPal's About to Take On Robinhood
• Unravelling Open Banking’s Complexities

From our Blog

• Apple Store vs. Repair Shop: What the Right to Repair Is All About
• SEC sets its sights on the crypto “Wild West”
• Why China’s Tough Stance on Crypto Mining Is a Boon for Miners Elsewhere...
• The Most Commonly Experienced Types of Fraud
• What is net zero?
• New Online Course - Understanding Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)

“TOP READS OF THE WEEK” (for week ending 27 August)

This week’s top reads in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT, risk management and much more

In this weeks selection;

Top Reads

• Bank of America nets record 227 patents in first half of 2021
• How Will Banking Respond to Embedded Finance Model?
• Consumer dissatisfaction with credit cards continues to rise
• How much does phishing really cost the enterprise?
• Crypto ATMs multiply despite challenges to the currency
• Are global investors finally rising to the ESG challenge?
• Phishing Costs Nearly Quadrupled Over 6 Years
• Cybersecurity: These two basic flaws make it easy for hackers to break into your systems
• Can legacy banks stay relevant with banking as a service?
• Blockchain: A Neat Example of the Ingenuity of Contemporary Fintech Solutions
• Anti-fraud niche in payments thrives as e-commerce climbs
• Consumer dissatisfaction with credit cards continues to rise
• SEC challenged in court over Nasdaq rule requiring board diversity
• Why most companies don't understand speed is vital to cybersecurity
• How to manage treasury operations safely and securely in the digital age
• California Fintech MovoCash Expands Fund Transfer Options with Assistance from Fiserv
• Anti-fraud niche in payments thrives as e-commerce climbs
• What the DOJ’s Involvement in Cyberattacks Means for the Future of Ransomware
• Klarna tallies 20M US customers

From our Blog

• Why China’s Tough Stance on Crypto Mining Is a Boon for Miners Elsewhere...
• The Most Commonly Experienced Types of Fraud
• What is net zero?
• "Thieves of State": Sarah Chayes on Afghanistan
• New Online Course - Understanding Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)
• Should we be worried about technology?

What is net zero? - The Economist

 

More than 50 countries around the world have pledged to become net zero. But what does net zero actually mean—and is it achievable?

“TOP READS OF THE WEEK” (for week ending 20 August)

This week’s top reads in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT, risk management and much more

In this weeks selection;

Top Reads

• Bitcoin’s Increasing Value Is Its Real Failure
• The Fundamental Role of Payments is Rapidly Evolving
• Infrastructure Bill Threatens the Value of Cryptocurrencies
• Top 5 ransomware operators by income
• Say Good-Bye to the Payment Card Magnetic Stripe
• State Street to vacate NYC offices amid shift to hybrid work
• BlackBerry teams with Car IQ for in-vehicle payments
• Q&A with Amazon Alexa chief Rohit Prasad on the future of ambient computing
• Why CFOs speak to the press (and whether they should)
• Coinbase CFO amassing cash to weather 'crypto winter'
• FX risk: Identifying exposure through a Currency Map
• How much does phishing really cost the enterprise?
• Up to 83M IoT devices at risk of remote access
• Is Mobile banking really out performing Traditional banking in developing economies — Part 1
• PayPal drops BNPL late fees worldwide
• Payments called 'dominant driver' for fintech investment: KPMG
• Facebook Plays the Underdog
• 5 FinTech companies from the Nordics making an impact
• Fintechs much more likely to be linked to suspicious PPP loans, study finds
• Why bitcoin entrepreneurs are flocking to rural Texas - The Guardian
• Consumer dissatisfaction with credit cards continues to rise
• Realizing IoT’s potential with AI and machine learning
• Senators raise privacy concerns about Amazon One

From our Blog

• Apple’s Software Chief Explains ‘Misunderstood’ iPhone Child-Protection Features
• Why China’s Tough Stance on Crypto Mining Is a Boon for Miners Elsewhere
• "Thieves of State": Sarah Chayes on Afghanistan
• New Online Course - Understanding Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)
• Should we be worried about technology?
• ESG may sound like a PR spin, but you can't dismiss it

 

“TOP READS OF THE WEEK” (for week ending 13 August)

This week’s top reads in banking, fintech, payments, cybersecurity, AI, IoT, risk management and much more

In this weeks selection;

Top Reads

• Banks delay return to office as delta variant surges
• Insider risk surges as resignations mount
• Chinese Threat Actors Use Webdav-O Virus to Exploit Federal Agencies in Russia
• Billions of Dollars Later, the U.S. Government Remains as Hackable as Ever
• SEC Brings and Settles First Case in Crypto-Linked DeFi Sector
• Circle seeks national charter to start digital currency bank
• ZenBusiness launches money-management app
• Plaid settles class-action lawsuit for $58 million
• How human instinct can interfere with cyber crisis response
• A Look Into Brazil's Booming Fintech Scene
• Behind the scenes: A day in the life of a cybersecurity "threat hunter"
• Should healthcare organizations pay to settle a ransomware attack?
• Web hosting cybersecurity concerns
• Citi requires vaccines for employees returning to offices
• Amazon strikes back at Visa fees with surcharge
• How ‘Single-Platform’ Tech Solutions Are Shaping the Future of Banking
• Ares CFO-COO fired for inappropriate conduct
• JPMorgan Piloting Real-Time Payment Service
• 55% of the world’s top 100 banks reportedly have crypto and blockchain exposure
• Chinese Cyberattack Targeted Dozens of Israeli Public and Private Organizations
• Citi seeks to pair banks and small businesses
• Banks, finance firms brace for 'recharged' U.S. consumer bureau; fintech, pandemic abuses are priorities
• BlackBerry teams with Car IQ for in-vehicle payments
• Ex-director seeks to stall $2 billion Paytm IPO, company calls it harassment

From our Blog

• Should we be worried about technology?
• ESG may sound like a PR spin, but you can't dismiss it
• Could digital currencies put banks out of business?
• An Introduction to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Criteria - New Online Course
• What if bitcoin went to zero?

New Online Course - Understanding Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) has gained increasing attention over the past few years. Today many institutional investors will only invest in those companies that provide ESG performance reporting. ESG provides a set of standards for a company’s operations that today’s socially conscious investors use to screen potential investments in terms of how a company treats the environment, manages social issues (relationships with employees, suppliers, customers, and the communities where it operates), and deals with governance issues.

This course has a three-fold focus;

• Provide the participant with an understanding of ESG. Here we look at what ESG is, its evolution and why it matters. We illustrate this, using examples of three ESG incidents (the Deepwater Horizon oil spill; the Volkswagen emissions scandal and the Facebook – Cambridge Analytica debacle).
• Show how an ESG framework supports a company’s overall risk management strategy/structure. Here we explore issues like; • Key ESG factors, • Sustainable Investing, • Corporate Pressure, • Stakeholder Expectations, • ESG Risks and Opportunities, • Unique Risks in Corporate Supply Chains, • ESG Investing Trends, and • Information Needs and Sources.
• Provide the hands-on knowledge you need to conduct more effective ESG due diligence, and to make better investment decisions. Here we present a step-by-step guide on the actions you need to take to ensure that your company becomes ESG compliant. We conclude by examining some current ESG myths.

ESG is an increasingly popular way for investors to evaluate companies in which they might want to invest. On the flipside, ESG can also help investors avoid companies that could pose a greater financial risk due to below par environmental or other practices.

ESG is relevant to analysts and investors, consumers and employees, and has become a major topic of discussion at Board meetings.

To register CLICK HERE

ESG may sound like a PR spin, but you can't dismiss it - Moral Money

 

Companies today must care about shareholders, but their behavior methods and culture matter too. Employees, customers, investors and the wider public are watching companies to see how they are cultivating for long-term gain. 'ESG' concerns have exploded over the course of the pandemic as shareholders look to more than just the balance sheet.

An Introduction to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Criteria - New Online Course

Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (more commonly referred to as ESG) refers to the three central factors in measuring the sustainability and societal impact of an investment in a company or business. Analysis of these criteria can help determine the future financial performance of companies (in other words the return capital and the risks that they face).

ESG criteria are a set of standards for a company’s operations that today’s socially conscious investors use to screen potential investments.

• Environmental criteria look at how a company performs as a steward of nature in protecting the planet.
  

• Social criteria examine how the company manages relationships with employees, suppliers, customers, and the communities where it operates.
  

• Governance deals with a company’s leadership, the pay of its executives, audits, internal controls, and shareholder rights.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria are an increasingly popular way for investors to evaluate companies in which they might want to invest. Using ESG criteria can also help investors avoid companies that could pose a greater financial risk due to below par environmental or other practices.

This course is an introduction to these criteria and how they may be used.

For full details and Registrations click HERE.

The 'Net-Zero' trend - Moral Money

Over the past few years, 'net-zero' pledges have been made globally, committing organizations to produce no more greenhouse gases than they are emitting. Setting net-zero targets have become a key tool to fight climate change and stakeholders are looking to companies to set theirs

Adding social issues to the corporate balance sheet - FT Moral Money

Employees, investors and customers are increasingly demanding transparency across supply chains and corporate structures. Executives are forced to consider their wider impact as significant of a risk as financial measurements 

 

Welcome to the Era of the Activist Accountant - FT Moral Money

Accountants turned activists? In an unexpected modern tale, activist accountants have become vital advocates towards standardizing 'ESG' risks

ESG - What is next and what do you need to do?

Over the last couple of years we have seen a flurry of activity on the environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) front. The plethora of scattered, fast-paced ESG developments across the public and private sectors are putting corporate compliance teams in a difficult position, especially as some companies are still reeling from staff and resource cuts caused by the pandemic.

Want to know more about what is coming up and what you need to do? Read Alexandra Wrage's article in Forbes HERE.