FEATURE STORY - PAGE 6 How Synchrony Financial Is Upgrading Its AML Strategy NEWS & TRENDS DEEP DIVE U.S. Bancorp acquires software How banks are innovating company 09Talech AML strategies14 to protect against global fraudsters OCTOBER 2019 © 2019 PYMNTS.com All Rights Reserved 1 DIGITAL BANKINGTRACKER TABLE OF CONTENTS What’s Inside 03 FIs are creating solutions and enhancing tools to protect digital banking platforms from fraud Feature Story Michael Bopp, executive vice president and chief customer engagement officer for 06 Synchrony Financial, explains how the bank is innovating its AML strategy in a world of rising fraud News and Trends 09 The latest digital banking trends and how FIs are addressing new security concerns Deep Dive A data-rich analysis of how U.S. banks’ AML strategies are handling increased data 14 breaches and fraudulent money movement Top 10 Rankings 18 The highest-ranking B2B and B2C digital banking providers Scorecard See this month’s top scorers and a directory featuring more than 250 digital banking players, 19 including two additions About 159 Information on PYMNTS.com and Feedzai ACKNOWLEDGMENT The Digital Banking Tracker was done in collaboration with Feedzai, and PYMNTS is grateful for the company’s support and insight. PYMNTS.com retains full editorial control over the following findings, methodology and data analysis. © 2019 PYMNTS.com All Rights Reserved 2 What's Inside Financial institutions (FIs) need to be on alert for provide customers with online bill payment, invest- fraudsters employing complex tactics to access ment and lending services, among others. banking platforms. Digital and mobile banking ap- Vietnamese banks are also looking to expand mobile plications are providing cybercriminals with plenty banking to serve more customers. Viet Nam Bank of opportunities to experiment, though some are for Social Policies (VBSP) recently launched a mo- still sticking to tried-and-true schemes. Automated bile banking project to serve low-income families attacks using artificial intelligence (AI) are just as and small female-run businesses with mobile finan- common as phishing, and banks still need to deter cial tools. money laundering on online platforms. FIs are still searching for ways to stand out in regions FIs also need to continue keeping customers satis- where digital banking is more pervasive, however. fied, especially as breaches and hacks make data U.S. Bancorp recently acquired software company protection and online financial security more con- Talech to revitalize its online banking platform, add- cerning. They are adding AI-based security tools and ing the latter’s services to its digital suite. Talech is services to their digital banking platforms to fight a Palo Alto, California-based company that develops fraud, and many are exploring enhancements and in- software for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs). novations to entice customers to stay. For more on these stories and other digital banking Customers may no longer be willing to leave this re- headlines, read the Tracker’s News and Trends sec- sponsibility to banks, however. A recent study found tion (p. 9). that 71.2 percent of consumers felt mobile banking app transactions would be more secure if they had How Synchrony Financial Works To Innovate Its more control over authentication options. AML Strategy Money laundering persistently troubles banks, forc- Around the digital banking world ing them to fight fraudsters who make off with $2 Online banking is on the rise in the Philippines, where trillion annually. FIs also must ensure that their se- the state-owned Overseas Filipino Bank (OFBank) curity measures do not harm customers who seek announced plans to go fully digital by the middle of quick banking experiences, said Michael Bopp, exec- next year, pending approval from the country’s cen- utive vice president and chief customer engagement tral bank, Bangko Sentral ng Philipinas (BSP). It will ACKNOWLEDGMENT The Digital Banking Tracker was done in collaboration with Feedzai, and PYMNTS is grateful for the company’s support and insight. PYMNTS.com retains full editorial control over the following findings, methodology and data analysis. © 2019 PYMNTS.com All Rights Reserved 3 WHAT'S INSIDE EXECUTIVE INSIGHT officer for Synchrony Financial. In this month’s Feature Story (p. 6), Bopp explains how Synchrony is upgrading its AML strategy to satisfy customers What technologies can help banks while keeping launderers out. comply with AML laws and quickly isolate cybercriminals? Deep Dive: How US banks are changing AML strategies in the face of fraud Banks are seeing increased fraud in regions where “A critical component of a bank's AML strategy is keeping up with regulatory changes, but right along- digital banking is becoming more popular. They side that goal should be a focus on growth. An FI’s need to ensure the data security tools they use to ad- AML program is absolutely a growth strategy, [which] dress money laundering are as innovative as those might be surprising to some. It is only by investing employed by cybercriminals. Many banks in the in technology that we can identify and fight the fi- United States are enhancing their online platforms’ nancial crimes of the future [to] remain competitive. Is your AML technology capable of adapting to new anti-money laundering (AML) strategies as a result. regulations or new criminal tactics? Can it help you To learn more about how they are innovating and communicate credibly with regulators? Does it pro- the challenges they face, read the Tracker’s Deep tect your reputation, both as an individual and as an Dive (p. 14). institution? All of these questions feed into a growth strategy. When you look at your AML program as a October Digital Banking Tracker updates strategic growth initiative, it shifts the whole playing field. Competitive possibilities emerge. This edition of the Digital Banking Tracker includes It takes the most sophisticated technology — specif- profiles of more than 250 financial players, including ically, a combination of ML models and rules-based two additions: 86 400 and Xinja. code — to stay and remain compliant and to fast-track growth. Rules work with specific calculations: If a person from country A transfers X amount, flag the transaction. Too much information can [act as] a data tsunami whereas ML provides a data gold mine, truly empow- ering investigations. ML for AML strengthens rules with models, which further helps reduce high-volume, low-value alerts. That's because ML models are trained with historical data to predict future behavior. Be ready for tomorrow — invest in smarter technology and your institution's growth today.” MEG BIRCH vice president of AML solutions at Feedzai © 2019 PYMNTS.com All Rights Reserved 4 WHAT'S INSIDE 5Five Fast Facts 71% 96% 200% Share of Portion of retail Growth of identity consumers who banks that plan to theft in South believe mobile develop services Africa between transactions focused on real- 2013 and 2018 would be more 68% time payments by 50% secure if they 2020 had more control over authentication Portion of APAC Share of Swiss banks that have consumers who experimented currently bank with AI and Big online Data analytics for client lifecycle management © 2019 PYMNTS.com All Rights Reserved 5 How Synchrony Financial Is Upgrading Its AML Strategy © 2019 PYMNTS.com All Rights Reserved 6 Money laundering has always troubled FIs, but today’s Bopp recently spoke with PYMNTS about how AML digital banking system creates additional complexi- expectations are changing and how Synchrony has ties as fraudsters around the world take advantage developed customer engagement and cyberse- of financial technologies to launder approximately curity protocols to address all aspects of money $2 trillion annually. Banks are scrambling to match laundering. cybercriminals' pace, and some are adapting quick- “Consumers want speed and personalization, er than others. but they don’t want to sacrifice security,” he said. Five Dutch banks recently formed a group to protect “Because the online environment continues to evolve their systems against launderers, but only after three at a fast pace, our AML strategies need to be fluid of them shook off fines and AML strategy investiga- to keep up with the increased functionality and con- tions. Member ING Bank was fined 775 million euros tinual evolution of technology our customers expect ($852 million USD) in 2018 for failing to prevent crim- and deserve.” inals from siphoning millions of euros through it over a six-year period, for example. AML strategies and innovation quirks Strong relationships with regulators have always FIs worldwide are innovating their AML strategies been key to developing anti-crime strategies, es- to protect against similar events, but the process pecially as security needs evolve. Synchrony has requires more than simply adding security to their configured its information security controls to align online platforms. Legitimate customers have ex- with Financial Services Sector Cybersecurity Profile pectations that banks must meet, meaning FIs must framework developed by the National Institute of walk fine lines between providing speed and AML Standards and Technology (NIST), Bopp said. Such security, according to Michael Bopp, executive vice profiles ensure FIs comply with current regulations president and chief customer engagement officer and AML standards. for Synchrony Financial. © 2019 PYMNTS.com All Rights Reserved 7 FEATURE STORY Matching regulations is only part of the AML puzzle, This is also why banks need to shift how they think as modern FIs must protect many channels from cy- about utilizing AI and data, Bopp added. FIs must tap bercriminals, even though balancing security needs into their vast amounts of data to protect customers with prickly customers’ personalization demands and innovate AML efforts, but they should carefully ap- is not a new problem for banks. Mobile, online and proach such innovation to best serve their customers. phone channels all have distinct fraud challenges and “There [are] a tremendous [number] of AI and ML customer needs, after all.