FINRA Launches Financial Intelligence Fusion Center to Combat Cybersecurity and Fraud Threats

New Timely Threat Intelligence Sharing Portal Will Help Protect Investors, Firms From Harm

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--FINRA announced today the launch of the Financial Intelligence Fusion Center (FIFC), a secure portal for FINRA and its member firms to share timely intelligence about cybersecurity and fraud threats and coordinate responses.

Building on FINRA's continued commitment to help member firms combat cyber and financial crime threats, the FIFC will collect, analyze and disseminate threat intelligence to bolster member firms’ awareness and ability to quickly respond to these threats. The FIFC will also leverage FINRA's existing partnerships, enabling input from other government and private sector partners. The platform was developed as part of FINRA Forward, a series of initiatives to further improve FINRA’s effectiveness and efficiency in achieving its mission of protecting investors and safeguarding market integrity.

As a self-regulatory organization, FINRA is uniquely positioned to work with its member firms to better protect investors and mitigate risk to the securities industry. FINRA began piloting the FIFC last year with a diverse group of member firms, whose participation and feedback have helped strengthen the portal’s functionality and effectiveness for member firms of all sizes. Through the pilot program, member firms have accessed FINRA’s threat intelligence products and actively shared cybersecurity and fraud threat intelligence via the FIFC, enabling timely threat mitigation. FINRA encourages member firms to opt into the FIFC to gain access to this centralized portal for intelligence sharing among firms and FINRA.

The FIFC expands on the range of resources FINRA provides its members, including guidance for establishing cybersecurity programs, addressing vulnerabilities, combating cyber-enabled fraud and identifying emerging scams, among others.

“The Financial Intelligence Fusion Center will be a powerhouse that facilitates timely intelligence sharing to benefit member firms, their customers and the securities industry. As cybersecurity and fraud threats evolve, this type of innovation and coordination with our member firms—which is made possible because of our self-regulatory organization model—is essential in building a more resilient environment. Member firm engagement with the FIFC will bolster that defense system and will strengthen trust in our markets, while better protecting investors,” said Greg Ruppert, Executive Vice President and Chief Regulatory Operations Officer at FINRA.

For more information, visit the Financial Intelligence Fusion Center.

About FINRA

FINRA is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to investor protection and market integrity. FINRA regulates one critical part of the securities industry—member brokerage firms doing business in the U.S. FINRA, overseen by the SEC, writes rules, examines for and enforces compliance with FINRA rules and federal securities laws, registers broker-dealer personnel and offers them education and training, and informs the investing public. In addition, FINRA provides surveillance and other regulatory services for equities and options markets, as well as trade reporting and other industry utilities. FINRA also administers a dispute resolution forum for investors and brokerage firms and their registered employees. For more information, visit www.finra.org.