Case Study:
Regulatory Compliance and Remote Access for a Broker Dealer
Client Profile
A boutique broker dealer needed to comply with FINRA rules for business continuity. They also needed to archive data for seven years for compliance purposes.
The traders working for the dealer were able to connect to the clearinghouse through IT systems installed in their office but due to clearinghouse security requirements they could not access it from home.
Challenges
The client wanted to comply with business continuity requirements by enabling key employees to access critical systems remotely from anywhere. In addition, they had been unable to find a cloud provider who was configured to archive seven years of data; most are not.
Solution
US Desktops replicated client data and applications on servers within our data center, and employees were provided access to their employer’s central system through our data center. Employees previously working in one location, now worked in multiple locations, or from home offices, and were able to centrally access their information.
With the success of this business continuity solution, the client decided to move to US Desktops cloud servers on a permanent basis, and keep a replica of their information in their offices.US Desktops implemented a solution that enabled key employees to access the same systems they use in the office, from anywhere. This was possible because our servers transmit only images of the screens in the office, not the actual data itself, and the images are never saved on the user’s computer. The system also uses two-factor authentication for security. The client uses the system for both business continuity and remote access.
Files are automatically sent to a third party every day and remain online, to meet the seven-year compliance rule.
Results
The client has a cost-effective solution to meet regulatory off-site business continuity and archiving solutions, and employees have remote access to trading systems