Pattern, Not Incident: What Spygate Reveals About Football Club Governance Culture “A contrived and determined plan from the top down.” Those are not our words. They are the independent commission’s in the EFL’s written reasons published on 21 May 2026 (EFL, 2026; Sky Sports, 2026b). The reasons explain why the EFL expelled Southampton […]
The Global State of RegTech 2026 by Parker & Lawrence Research and RegTech Analyst has named Argus Pro a leader in Compliance Assessment, one of the four subcategories of compliance management examined in the report.The report is the first annual edition of a new research initiative from Parker & Lawrence Research and RegTech Analyst. It […]
Guest Article by Jen Davidson | Culture and Inclusion Expert Inclusion and psychological safety sit at the heart of every effective compliance culture. Executive Summary When financial institutions fail to prevent money laundering, fraud or sanctions evasion, the headlines focus on the fines. They also dwell on the tech gaps and the process failures. However, the […]
Financial crime compliance culture sits at the heart of every major control failure I have seen. After two decades on some of the world’s most complex investigations, I have reached one uncomfortable conclusion. The biggest failures rarely concern technology. Process is almost never the cause. Almost every one traces back to culture. The […]
Whistleblowing in financial services depends on far more than a written policy. Most regulated firms run a speak-up channel. However, far fewer cultivate a culture in which people genuinely use it. That distinction, as decades of enforcement now confirm, defines whether the system actually works. Over the past decade, lawmakers have rebuilt the […]
Culture in regulated organisations is what fines actually expose, even when headlines focus on numbers. Regulatory fines have a knack for simplifying complex stories. A number lands. Headlines follow. Statements appear. Then, mostly, the conversation moves on. Yet the recent fines against several Dutch accountancy firms deserve a closer look. Not because of […]
Executive Summary The Football Governance Act 2025 marks the biggest structural change to English football since the Premier League launched in 1992. The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) brings real powers: licensing, financial scrutiny, continuous supervision, and the ability to remove unsuitable owners. IFR football governance means that, for clubs that have never faced statutory […]
The Owners and Directors Test: What’s Changed and Why The ODSE test for football clubs is already in force. It came into effect on 12 December 2025, making it the first element of the IFR’s new regulatory regime to become operational (Morgan Lewis, 2026). If your club has not yet assessed its exposure, it should. […]
Licensing 101: Understanding IFR Provisional and Full Licences The IFR provisional licence for football clubs is not optional. From the 2027/28 season, every club in the top five divisions of men’s football must hold an operating licence issued by the Independent Football Regulator (IFR). Without one, a club cannot compete. This is a statutory […]
What is the Independent Football Regulator, and Why Does It Matter? The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) is the most significant change to English football governance since the Premier League began in 1992. Established under the Football Governance Act 2025, which received Royal Assent on 21 July 2025, the IFR is now operational and has […]
MiCA AML Requirements: Six Controls Every CASP Must Get Right The MiCA AML requirements are not a compliance wish list. They are specific obligations that national competent authorities assess during the CASP authorisation process. A firm that cannot demonstrate each one clearly is a firm that will face delays, requests for additional information, […]
MiCA Compliance Deadline: What EU Crypto Firms Must Do Before July 1st, 2026 The Silence Before July Is Where Compliance Failures Start The MiCA compliance deadline is 1 July 2026. Most EU crypto firms know it exists. Fewer are genuinely prepared for what it means. I have spent more than two decades investigating […]
What the FCA’s Appointment as Single Professional Services Supervisor Means for UK Law Firms. Executive Summary FCA AML supervision will fundamentally change the UK legal sector. On 21 October 2025, HM Treasury made a landmark announcement. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will replace 22 professional body supervisors. It will act as the sole AML […]
Locking the Door is a Good Start, but… On 17 February 2026, the UK Government published the fifth wave of its Cyber Security Longitudinal Survey. The findings are striking: 82% of medium and large UK businesses experienced at least one cyber incident in the past year. Phishing remains the dominant attack type. Supply […]
Summary Most firms only test resilience after an incident. Aegis Compass | CDOR™ helps you assess the strength of your defences before an incident happens, with evidence your board can trust.Remember M&S?April 2025. One supplier. One ransomware-style attack.£300 million in lost profits. Over £1 billion in market cap gone.Not because M&S dropped the ball. But […]
Summary Cyber resilience today demands more than just tech. It requires leadership, culture, and real evidence that your organisation can recover and adapt. Why Cyber Resilience Can’t Wait Cyberattacks aren’t just more frequent. They’re smarter. And regulators? They’ve caught on. In the last 12 months: Over 2.3 million UK businesses were hit by cybercrime […]
Summary Cyber events don’t just drain budgets; they damage trust, operations, and reputation. Learn what recent retail incidents teach us about being prepared. Counting the real cost of disruption When cyber attacks strike, the impact can be huge. When Marks & Spencer suffered a highly sophisticated cyberattack, it lost an estimated £1 billion in […]
Summary Europe’s digital operational resilience laws are changing fast. The UK’s Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, currently passing through Parliament, will replicate and build upon much of what DORA and NIS2 have already set out. Here’s what this means for you in simple terms. Understanding DORA and NIS2 DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) and […]
Summary Cyber resilience isn’t just about having the right tools. It’s about people, processes, and planning, too. Cyber resilience is everyone’s job Many organisations think cyber resilience is an IT problem. It’s not. It’s a business-wide issue. Cyber threats today are fast, clever, and can come from anywhere. Ransomware, supply chain attacks, and insider […]
What Should AML Professionals Do? How Economic Uncertainty Fuels Financial Crime Economic uncertainty affects everyone. But did you know it’s also a breeding ground for financial crime? Inflation, market instability, and low growth create opportunities for bad actors and increase risks across sectors. Recent bond market volatility caused by the UK Chancellor’s budget has […]
Technology and Insights to Aide Compliance Professionals Challenges in Combating Financial Crime The fight against financial crime is becoming harder every day. Firms in Financial Services, Professional Services, Telecoms, and Healthcare, amongst others, face many challenges. Bad actors use more innovative methods to hide their crimes. For example, they may use fake identities […]
How To Get Ahead of Intensifying Scrutiny 7 Ways Solicitors Can Improve AML Compliance Anti-money laundering (AML) compliance amongst solicitors firms in the UK is in the spotlight. A recent report from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) highlighted that only 22% of firms reviewed fully met requirements. In this article, we have provided seven […]
The Growing Role of Cryptocurrencies and UK Banks’ Challenges Cryptocurrencies have swiftly reshaped the global financial landscape, offering fast, decentralised transactions and borderless operations. However, the features that make them appealing also attract financial criminals, posing unique challenges for UK banks. UK banks must ensure robust anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) compliance […]
Regulations and Expectations in the UK The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) strongly emphasises accountability and robust systems. These expectations fall under the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR). Firms must monitor suspicious activities, maintain high data quality, and ensure ongoing analysis. The FCA promotes a risk-based approach, requiring firms to align with the Money […]
Process Maturity Assessments Enhance Business Performance The way you manage and understand operational capabilities shapes your organisation’s performance. A maturity assessment framework gives you a well-laid-out way to review and boost business processes. This helps you spot areas needing improvement and create clear growth paths. You can measure current performance against industry standards and best […]
Why AFC Compliance Effectiveness Matters Now Argus Pro has developed Aegis Compass | AFC™ to help organisations assess and strengthen AFC compliance effectiveness across their anti-financial crime programmes. Financial crime is a growing global issue. Industries such as banking, asset management, insurance, real estate, and law must stay ahead of these risks. Compliance leaders must […]
Unveiling the ShadowsIntroduction to Money Laundering Money laundering hides and legitimises criminal profits, making it a significant threat to global financial stability. This criminal activity undermines financial integrity and enables other illegal enterprises, such as drug trafficking and terrorism. To tackle money laundering, a comprehensive understanding is crucial, as this knowledge strengthens the defences of […]
The Importance of Risk Assessment in Combating Financial Crime Introduction to Financial Crime In today’s financial landscape, financial crime poses serious risks. These crimes include money laundering, fraud, bribery, and corruption. They can significantly affect both businesses and individuals. As the global economy becomes interconnected, risks to assets and reputation grow. Understanding financial crime […]
Without CultureOver the last decade, many organisations have faced high-profile cases of non-compliance with financial regulations, resulting in significant fines and damaged reputations. Despite the increasing number of regulations and guidelines, compliance failures continue to occur. The solution isn’t more regulation. Instead, we must foster a culture where compliance is integral and celebrated, not just […]
The disconnect between senior management and front-line employees A study by Sidney Yoshida, known as the “Iceberg of Ignorance,” revealed that senior management often lacks a clear understanding of the day-to-day operations within a company, leading to a disconnect between them and their employees and customers. This phenomenon, sometimes called the “Iceberg of Arrogance,” found […]
AML is making the headlines for all the wrong reasons In December 2022, the Financial Conduct Authority fined Santander UK plc £107.8 million[i]for several shortcomings and failures in its internal anti-money laundering (AML) processes over a historic period. However, it was the latest fine for such a breach, capping a remarkable year in which 25 […]
The first step to improving your AFC processes is to measure them How secure do you believe your organisation’s reputation is in the market? Is there fragility in the systems that keep you safe from attack by cold and hardened financial criminals? When was the last time you correctly measured the effectiveness of your anti-financial […]
The Benefit of Independently Reviewing AFC Processes Why independent assessments are crucial for ensuring the effectiveness of your anti-financial crime processes Anti-financial crime (AFC) processes are essential for protecting organisations from the risks of money laundering (ML), fraud, and other financial crimes. However, in order to be effective, these processes must be robust and able […]
AI, like all good tools, needs to be kept sharp to be effective How will you ensure your AI-enabled anti-financial crime tools remain effective? In recent years, AI-enabled anti-financial crime solutions such as machine learning (ML) have become increasingly prevalent in the fight against financial crime. These technologies are used in many sectors, […]
The fight against financial crime is an ongoing battle requiring a deep understanding of criminal minds and tactics. Traditional anti-financial crime (AFC) approaches have been reactive, relying on historical data and patterns. To stay ahead of relentless and sophisticated criminals, AFC professionals need to start thinking more like perpetrators. By doing so, AFC […]
