The Future Of Fintech Industry’s Finest- 7 Predictions On Where It’s Headed

In 2022, the fintech industry is estimated to be $179 billion. This is expected to reach $213 billion by the year 2024.

Knowing how big it will grow is helpful, but there is more than meets the eye. The intricate factors and latent possibilities drive the growth. Determining a probability for this in figures is near impossible. But we certainly can determine the possible tangents where the financial technology industry is headed.

Here are 7 predictions on how the fintech industry will be transformed.

Explore the future of financial technology with these metamorphosing predictions that range from hybrid cloud solutions to exponential computing processes. Not only is the fintech industry changing payment methods and investing options, but also how any business works.

Advanced Hybrid Cloud/Server Solutions

The unavoidable nature of a well-planned ecosystem strategy is crucial, as is effective and efficient orchestration. For example, open banking lets customers share their financial data with other apps and vice versa. In addition, real-time intelligent data integration is possible with hybrid cloud (cloud/server) solutions.

Cybersecurity Teams And Their Convergence

Cybersecurity and anti-fraud teams are conventionally separate departments in financial companies. They are usually focused on different threats and risk factors from various entities. As cyber fraud allows criminals to exploit this division blatantly, banks will soon rethink the organization of these teams. Crimes like synthetic identity fraud are aided by artificial intelligence, automation, and other banking technology, unlike traditional approaches to fraudulent theft. These separate teams will combine as banks and financial companies and institutions realize the joint expertise of cybersecurity managers and fraud investigators is required to combat these threats. Inadvertently, the CISOs – probably with the largest cybersecurity budgets compared to any industry by 2023- will take on the anti-fraud team’s responsibilities.

Defi Over Cefi

DeFi is short for ‘Decentralized Finance‘, also known as the Open Finance movement. At its foundation, it is a blockchain-based form of finance focusing on removing the conventional reliance on CeFi (Centralized Finance). Consider removing the requirement for intermediaries such as exchanges, brokers, or banks to handle settlements of any transactions and move that into a smart contract on the blockchain. The objective is to revolutionize finance and vest the power back to the relevant investors and funds. We are already headed in this direction and can expect DeFi to become a vital part of the financial ecosystem.

The Inevitability Of The Best Customer Experience

The financial services industry has refocused on putting consumers first. As a result, the current consumers are relieved and liberated with a wide range of products and services. This grants a newfound sense of power over their spending habits. With a rise in card-linked rewards, personalized loyalty programs, BNPL solutions, and much more, consumers have multiple choices on how and when their money is spent. As a result, banks and fintech need to evolve their offerings to meet customers’ demands constantly. This will continue well into the banking’s future, effectively making end-users the winners. The power vested has shifted to the consumers, and it is not going away anytime soon.

Newer Modes For Identification

The fintech industry will enable communities to create bank accounts without requiring KYC verification processes with identification documents that may not exist or be accessible. Moreover, by making it available for individuals to avail of financial services, it’s certainly possible to generate greater access to borrowing services, remittances, and even investment tools/options. These may pave the way to creating businesses, better debt management, and financial security.

Exponential Computing Power And Processes

By 2050, computing power and network speeds will handle unimaginable volumes of data. As a result, business and the financial technology sector will generally become more automated and real-time. Larger volumes of data will rapidly flow within and between many enterprises, and cognitive computing will enhance financial systems. With this, financial teams will no longer have to expend days or weeks collating and consolidating financial and operational factors for delivery to stakeholders. Instead, summarized financially and any operational data will be instantly available to executives on a real-time basis. This will support “right-time” decision-making.

Embedded Finance And Its Relevance

Embedded fintech will undoubtedly dominate the industry by 2030. This implies that financial services will not necessarily be offered as a stand-alone product. Instead, it will be a part of the primary user interface of other products. Good examples of embedded finance are Facebook Pay and Apple Card. By 2030, similar services will be crucial to the scene.

Leveraging The Fate Of The Fintech Industry

We can reasonably assume that the future of fintech is indeed engrossed in technological advancements. As banking technology metamorphosizes into newer forms and the financial industry explores novel venues, it is sensible to adapt to the changing time. Automation and artificial intelligence in the financial companies’ sphere is a good start. You will need to find reliable and efficient fintech service providers who will be available for your requirements. At signzy, we focus on this. Check out the webpage to know more.

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering customizable workflows. In addition, it gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs that can be easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling ten million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks. It works with over 240+ FIs globally, including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a robust global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru and has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.

You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com.

Written By:

Signzy

Written by an insightful Signzian intent on learning and sharing knowledge.

 

Optimal Regulations- How Good Fintech Regulations Form The Financial Gateway To Digitizing The Economy

 

How welcoming are the Indian districts to financial inclusion and progress? A decade ago, it wasn’t much. 2013 saw the CRISIL (formerly Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited) introduce Inclusix into the foray. Inclusix was the country’s first financial inclusion index- a method to measure the level of financial inclusion and progress in the nation. The project spanned over 660 districts in the country.

In 2022, over 330 of the 666 districts in the country have a rating of ‘Above Average’ on the Inclusix. This is an encouraging result for the economy. But while growth is evident, so will the trouble that comes with it. With increasing individuals accessing financial opportunities, the government must take advanced and more efficient regulatory measures.

How It Has Been For Fintechs

A brief history of Fintech exhibits its inception in the banking industry. Notwithstanding, the past half a decade has seen tremendous advancements in the entire financial company ecosystem. FinTech has expanded to asset management and insurance companies too.

Digital adoption is not easy in a massive yet less digital economy like India. Innovation and change have never been the cash-centered mindset, and lack of reliability on technology in the past has made it difficult. Nonetheless, the entire country is shifting towards adopting Financial technology services. This includes both the businesses and the consumers.

Thus, the environment is nourishing and is shifting to a higher gear. New business propositions, better maneuvering, and solutions lead to a faster-paced economy.

Regulations In Position

Even with the current strict regulations, many sectors in the Fintech Industry are not adequately regulated. The problem is not a lack of regulation but the unequal and inefficient distribution of regulatory guidelines across the whole industry. Some are excessive, while others are insufficient.

P2P lending and digital payment modes are good examples of irregular regulatory implementations. They require monitoring and oversight regulation as they manage money at large, derived from the public. Two of the relevant regulatory actions in place include:

  • P2P is popular amongst enthusiastic investors and financial companies as they are efficient, high on returns, and has relatively lower interest rates than other financial companies, institutions and banks. The RBI’s decision to treat such P2P entities as NBFCs with newer regulatory guidelines will only cement their relevance in the economy and legality. Such a move by the RBI will ensure better credibility and decision-making capacity for P2P platforms. It will help make the initiatives more robust and, more importantly, sustainable in the future.
  • The RBI is also regulating Fintechs focused on payment gateways and e-wallets. Under the Payment and Settlements Act 2007, these entities must be registered with the RBI. The Act describes stringent rules and regulations for the same. 

Barring the above mentioned, there are not many stringent regulations in any Fintech industry sector. This is an excellent opportunity for regulators and businesses to think of creative approaches towards it. Historically, the regulators have not perceived Financial technology companies in a different limelight. They categorize them in the same elements as traditional businesses. This is a mistake.

What To Change

Considering Fintechs as traditional businesses needs to change. And it did.

In 2017, one of RBI’s Working Groups recommended setting up an optimized sandbox in the country. This sandbox would allow Fintech Startups to examine and test new services while assessing risks before their introduction into the market. But even this needs modifications and improved efficiency. There are still a lot of bureaucratic muddles.

Many entities are involved in governing the Indian Fintech industry. This includes RBI, TRAI, SEBI, and even the IRDA. Hence, there is no single authoritative body to oversee the industry as a whole. There are no specific generalized guidelines for the Fintech sphere. An overseer regulator will help make matters easier.

Moreover, each state government is taking different modes to approach the industry. They have their own opinions and startup ecosystems. As a result, regulations overlap and cause confusion and gray areas for the Fintech community. Therefore, an understanding between governments must be strung.

On top of all this, the FIntech sphere is a dynamic juggernaut. It has new technology and outright disruptive approaches with innovative products. These call for the constant renovation of regulatory guidelines to ensure a smooth and easy transition. The regulators have myriads of ideas and areas to consider each time they decide. Apt solutions for this must be brought. Consider the input prominent fintech players can provide and keep clear communication between the entities and the regulators to ensure no misunderstandings.

Where All Of This Leads You

Considering consumers as the primary benefactors of better regulatory practices, the government is taking measures. Data localization norms and the flexibility and interpretation of regulation will help enforce the aspiring optimization. The RBI also currently has regulatory guidelines to make payments more transparent and secure in draft form.

While the government and competitors are transforming their approach to fintech solutions, you also have to opt for the best services available to ensure your enterprise thrives. We at Signzy can help you. Our state-of-the-art, customizable, AI-enabled resources can help you boost your onboarding and KYC processes. Let us know how you plan on innovating your enterprise.

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform that is redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering totally customizable workflows. It gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs that can be easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling ten million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks. It works with over 240+ FIs globally, including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a robust global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru, and it has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.

You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com

Written By:

Signzy

Written by an insightful Signzian intent on learning and sharing knowledge.

The Road Ahead For KYC- 7 Ways Compliance Is Set To Change In This Decade

$45 per employee is what companies pay on average for compliance training. The total average time is 5 hours for this training. When we do the math, if the company has more than 1000 employees, the total cost will amount to a minimum of $225,000 a year. Will this change?

Absolutely, yes!

A wave of increased regulation guidelines worldwide has made KYC(Know Your Customer) compliance more difficult, ergo, more expensive than before. Companies that previously snuck past by treating compliance as simply a checkmark operation now face a future filled with questions.

But, with newer technology and emerging trends, this is changing. This will change the associated expenses and the entire process of KYC compliance. We need to keep an eye out for these. Let’s have a look at the 7 major trends that will

 

  1. The Inevitable ‘Perpetual KYC’

Financial institutions(FIs) were content just reviewing customers periodically according to risk ratings. On average, it used to take up to 20 days for a single file to refresh a customer’s details. But now, future KYC compliance is more focused on Perpetual KYC. While regulators were not adamant about reliable, independent source data/documents or information until very recently, expectations will increase as government regulations strengthen with time. Companies should grasp this opportunity to begin working with structured data providers. They can provide event-based, real-time monitoring of alterations in customer details.

  1. Digital Adoption With Better, Increased Automation

Banks have started to use better AI(artificial intelligence) and ML(machine learning) to assess AML CFT risks. AML in finance is very important, and automation will help fortify it. In cases where they don’t use these outright, they will start to use large, open datasets, with dependence on smaller teams with extremely specialized skills. Moreover, total automation will trigger the quicker adoption of digitization. This will help CFT in banking improve, providing a safer approach to ecosystems even outside of finance.

  1. Dependence On Centralized Repositories

Decentralized data is a headache for regulatory entities and respective companies. Instead of forcing clients, providers, and regulators to obtain KYC information from multiple sources, centralized repositories will help streamline the data. In addition, it will remove the requirement for institutions to approach clients.

This has a significant impact on the mechanics and dynamics within the industry. Data sourcing is a considerable concern for the involved parties, but centralizing that information and data brings forth other problems to accompany increased capabilities. FIs should select structured data partners scrupulously as this change develops. This will also improve processes for AML in finance.

  1. Importance Of Operational Resilience Will Increase

Flexible companies can bear better through storms than rigid ones. Conversely, businesses not optimizing processes find themselves outmatched and outgunned by more elastic and agile organizations that acknowledge the need to adapt.

Organizations should focus on enhancing and stabilizing sustainability within KYC processes in order to survive high scrutiny and external pressures. This is particularly true in a post-COVID era, where regulators bring newer priorities and associated concerns to businesses with individual compliance requirements.

  1. Fading Opaque Ownerships

Increased transparency does not work well for companies obfuscating operations on purpose. As a result, regulators plan to storm down on OCS(ownership concealment strategies). Now that companies and regulators both have improved tools to detect suspicious situations. These institutions that have become accustomed to hiding their UBOs(ultimate beneficial owners) will have a troublesome awakening.

  1. More Stringent Global And Government Regulations 

What do regulatory bodies do when newer processes and tools permit them to detect more rulebreakers? Rarely are they happy with the results. Instead, they double down and increase regulations and lean harder on better technology to eliminate problems that could have been bigger than they initially expected.

After the initial wave of regulatory actions, businesses that remain compliant will not become complacent. Alterations will continue, either in cryptic and coded law or in the practice and execution of existing rules.

  1. More Data Sharing By FIs

As organizations understand more about compliance concerns, they look to their ecosystem partners to eliminate other issues they might have overlooked. In addition, they will share information through newer content and better practices, improving compliance strategies. Institutions in this regard should be accustomed to sharing more info and advice while working closely with other companies’ compliance teams.

 

What The Future Of KYC Compliance Holds

As newer regulatory guidelines enter the KYC ecosystem, companies must be vigilant. As technology evolves, best practices and the corresponding expectations of governments, regulators, and entities in the system also develop.

These trends are reshaping the world of KYC compliance. As newer insights and better tools come to light, more recent trends will augment or replace them. Although companies cannot precisely predict the future, they can craft flexible processes and the mindset necessary to traverse the unknown.

But for this, they will need the best resources they can find. That’s where Signzy can help you. Signzy’s state-of-the-art tools for KYC compliance and smooth processing will help and fasten your processes. They are AI-driven and completely customizable.

 

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform that is redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering totally customizable workflows. It gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs that can be easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling ten million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks. It works with over 240+ FIs globally, including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a robust global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru, and it has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.

You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com

Written By:

Signzy

Written by an insightful Signzian intent on learning and sharing knowledge.

Algorithmic Risk Intelligence: The Future of Risk Management

Introduction

The world is becoming more and more data-driven. As a result, data has become the lifeblood of many industries. Organizations are starting to realize the value of collecting and analyzing data to make intelligent decisions. However, this can be challenging if your organization does not have a proven framework for quantitative analysis. Algorithmic risk intelligence is a new way of systematically thinking about data risks with a few key considerations: how significant the potential impact is, the probability of occurrence, and how feasible it would be to prevent or mitigate the risk. Understanding these three factors will allow you to identify your most critical risks and give you an idea of where to focus your efforts when it comes time to prioritize which risks you need to address.

 

Utilization of historical data to build predictive models

The utilization of historical data to build predictive models is a common practice. It can be done by using the ARIMA approach.

ARIMA (Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average) is a technique that uses historical data to predict future values, which can be used to make better decisions. It uses past information to forecast the future. These methods are powerful, but they are also quite complex, and they require more advanced statistical knowledge to make them work properly. Using historical data to build predictive models is essential to algorithmic risk intelligence. 

Utilizing historical data to build predictive models will help you identify risk areas, but it does not mean you should stop there. It would be best to look at other factors that are not captured in the model. For example, you should be looking at data that will help you identify new or emerging risks.

Measurement, quantification, and anticipation roles of ARI

Algorithmic risk intelligence is about understanding, quantifying, and anticipating the risks that matter to your organization. It is a new way of systematically thinking about data risks with a few key considerations: how significant the potential impact is, the probability of occurrence, and how feasible it would be to prevent or mitigate the risk. Understanding these three factors will allow you to identify your most critical risks and give you an idea of where to focus your efforts when it comes time to prioritize which risks you need to address.

Some other vital roles that ARI can play in an organization are measurement, quantification, and anticipation. Measurement is about understanding the scope and magnitude of potential risk. Quantification is about estimating the probability of a risk occurring. Finally, anticipation is about developing a plan to prevent or mitigate risk from occurring.

There are many types of data in the digital world that could be used as a subset of ARI. The three most prominent types are customer, company, and industry data. Customer data includes customer preferences, personal data, customer service records, and customer behavior patterns. Company data has an organizational structure, size, history, and personnel records. Finally, industry data includes information like market trends. 

 

ARI to reduce business loss due to unforeseen circumstances

ARI is a systematic way of understanding your data risks. It can help you identify the most critical risks you need to address and help you prioritize the ones you need to address.

ARI is a framework that includes three key considerations: the risk’s potential, probability, and feasibility. With these three factors in mind, you can create a plan for mitigating your data risks.

ARI is ideal because it can be applied to any data, and it can start with a minor concern and grow into a full-blown disaster recovery plan.

Role of ARI to uncover organization’s most critical surfaces

As we rely on digital technologies to grow and expand, the risk of data breaches and other cyber risks continues to grow. Therefore, it’s critical to understand each risk’s potential impact and probability of occurrence and decide what you need to do to mitigate the risk.

It is where algorithmic risk intelligence (ARI) comes in. ARI is a new way of thinking about data risks systematically. It has three considerations:

(1) How significant the potential impact is

(2) what is the probability of occurrence is 

(3) how feasible it would be to prevent or mitigate the risk.

Understanding these three factors will allow you to identify your most critical risks and give you an idea of where to focus your efforts when it comes time to prioritize which risks you need to address.

How can Signzy help?

Fintech companies must safeguard sensitive customer data to reduce data risks. But how can this be accomplished?

You can depend on us to help you in that regard. We at Signzy have a variety of AI-based solutions to digitally identify, verify, and authenticate customers, moreover helping in ensuring complete security. Our solution for onboarding security has been deployed by more than 45 significant and valued clients. These include leading banks, NBFCs, mutual fund managers, P2P lending banks, digital payment solutions, etc. Thus, making it promising and easier to trust us.

Writtern By:

Vaishali Bharadwaj
Vaishali is a machine learning enthusiast. Besides machine learning and data storytelling, she likes contemporary art, traveling, and Ice Skating. Since Vaishali was young, she has always enjoyed solving puzzles. So that’s how she looks at big data sets: to Vaishali, it is one big puzzle she wants to solve. Finding patterns nobody else sees is a challenge to her.

 

Exploiting SSTI To Execute Arbitrary Code On Server

Server-side templates create an accessible method for the dynamic generation of HTML code management. But they could also be susceptible to SSTI(server-side template injection). To fully comprehend these mechanics, we must understand what template engines and SSTI attacks are. This can also help execute arbitrary code on the server.

What are Template Engines and SSTI Attacks?

Template engines are created by including multiple specific templates with variable data to create web pages. Server-side template injection attacks can occur when user input is concatenated directly into a template without being sanitized against evil characters. As a result, attackers can inject arbitrary template directives into the template engine, allowing them to manipulate the template engine and, in some cases, gain complete control of the server.

Some of the Template engines are listed below : 

PHP – Smarty, Twigs                                                   

Java – Velocity, Freemaker                                                   

Python – JINJA, Mako, Tornado                                                   

JavaScript – Jade, Rage                                                   

Ruby – Liquid                                                    

 

Jinja: A Python Based Template Engine

Jinja is a Python template engine written as a self-contained open source project to create HTML, XML, or other markup formats returned to the user via an HTTP response. It is also referred to as “Jinja2”.

So why Jinja? 

Today Jinja is the most widely used Python-based template engine and is opted by configuration management tools Ansible and SaltStack and the static site generator Pelican to generate output files. Given its vast adaptation, we will have Jinja as a reference to understand how the SSTI attack works. 

The Vulnerable Code Snippet

 

 

Here, a part of the Template is dynamically generated using the form. Because template syntax is directly processed at the server-side without any filtration, an attacker possibly can inject a malicious payload inside the ‘name’ argument where user input is being placed within the template expression. 

Identifying The Vulnerability

As shown in the code snippet, the input we’ll provide will be rendered precisely by the template engine. 

So, if we put a mathematical expression to identify the vulnerability, if it is being rendered by template engine or not. 

 

 

 

Input value- {{7*7}} returned ‘Hello 49!’. So it is confirmed that the backend is using jinja2.

Python depends on specific modules like ‘sys,’ which includes other dependencies such as the ‘OS’ module; we will target the ‘OS’ module here for exploitation. However, the exploitation and getting shell would not be that easy here as Jinja does not support the import statement. 

Our very first goal here is to identify the template engine used by the target application, for which the TPLMAP tool can be leveraged. With numerous sandbox escape strategies, the TPLMAP tool aids the exploitation of Code Injection and Server-Side Template Injection vulnerabilities to get access to the underlying operating system.

Exploiting The Vulnerability

So as explained above, the import statement does not work in the case of Jinja; hence we will use some parts of code that are accessible to us, often called Gadgets, to achieve remote code execution.

 

The below payload will execute the malicious code which is inside the ‘popen’ function:

 

The above payload is explained in the below fig:

 

The RCE is achieved as shown below:

 

Workaround and Remediation

  • Templates should not be created using user-controlled input. To pass user input to the Template, use template parameters. Sanitize the data before processing it by removing any unwanted or potentially hazardous characters before putting it into the templates. This decreases the likelihood of your templates being maliciously explored.
  • Malicious code execution is inescapable if permitting certain dangerous characters to render specific elements of a template is a business requirement. Then encapsulating the template environment in a docker container is almost certainly the safer option. With this option, you may leverage Docker security to establish a safe environment that prevents dangerous actions.

 

About Signzy

Signzy is a market-leading platform that is redefining the speed, accuracy, and experience of how financial institutions are onboarding customers and businesses – using the digital medium. The company’s award-winning no-code GO platform delivers seamless, end-to-end, and multi-channel onboarding journeys while offering totally customizable workflows. It gives these players access to an aggregated marketplace of 240+ bespoke APIs that can be easily added to any workflow with simple widgets.

Signzy is enabling ten million+ end customer and business onboarding every month at a success rate of 99% while reducing the speed to market from 6 months to 3-4 weeks. It works with over 240+ FIs globally, including the 4 largest banks in India, a Top 3 acquiring Bank in the US, and has a robust global partnership with Mastercard and Microsoft. The company’s product team is based out of Bengaluru, and it has a strong presence in Mumbai, New York, and Dubai.

Visit www.signzy.com for more information about us.

You can reach out to our team at reachout@signzy.com

Written By:

Ankit Pandey

Ankit is a cyber geek currently working in the information security team at Signzy. Ankit holds eWPTX, eCPPTv2 & CEH certifications. Ankit is also an active member of Synack Red Team actively hacking and securing companies globally.

 

 

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