Both the SEC and the CFTC were authorized by the Dodd-Frank Act to reward certain persons for providing information that leads to an enforcement action.  Prompted by such a “whistleblower’s” notification, the CFTC investigated and initiated a widely-reported civil enforcement action against a trader.  Under the CFTC’s implementation of the whistleblower program, for information that leads to monetary sanctions in excess of $1 million, whistleblowers can be paid between 10% and 30% of the sanction.
Continue Reading CFTC Picking Up the Pace of Whistleblower Program

In a recent public speech, CFTC Chairman Timothy Massad described cybersecurity as “perhaps the single most important new risk to market integrity and financial stability.”  On March 18, 2015, CFTC staff conducted a roundtable regarding this topic, during which CFTC suggested possible proposed rulemaking.  CFTC staff said that CFTC is considering a rule imposing cybersecurity requirements on exchanges and clearing organizations, but one that at least initially would not apply to other market participants.  Chairman Massad indicated that a proposed rule would focus on setting standards for testing: (a) system safeguards; (b) vulnerability and penetration; (c) key controls; and (d) business recovery and disaster recovery. 
Continue Reading Cybersecurity Viewed as Market Risk by CFTC