Financial Services
Operate With Examination Confidence. Adopt AI Without Regulatory Exposure.
Financial services firms that govern their technology environment effectively don't just pass their exams. They operate more efficiently, adopt AI with documented oversight in place, and build the kind of institutional credibility that regulators — and clients — recognize. Centience delivers governance programs that are technically enforced across your entire technology environment — built specifically for the SEC, FINRA, and state regulatory requirements your firm answers to.
Documented track record of successful outcomes across financial services engagements.
Or call us directly: (877) 945-7177
The Regulatory Reality
What Governed Financial Services Operations Actually Looks Like.
SEC and FINRA examiners have expanded their technology governance scope significantly. Modern examinations look beyond cybersecurity policies to assess actual technical controls: how is data being accessed, how is AI being used, how are communications being archived, and what evidence exists that governance controls are operating.
Firms that demonstrate technically enforced governance — not just documented policies — move through examinations faster, with fewer deficiency findings, and with a stronger regulatory relationship. That is the operational advantage Centience is built to deliver.
Centience closes that gap — by managing the infrastructure where the controls must live.
Governed AI is not a constraint on modernization. It is what makes modernization sustainable.
SEC AI Examination Priorities
The SEC's FY2026 examination priorities explicitly flag AI technologies and automated investment tools as primary focus areas for broker-dealers and investment advisers. Firms using AI tools face obligations to disclose, monitor, and govern AI usage. Most firms have not yet inventoried what AI tools are in use across their organization.
FINRA Generative AI Governance
FINRA's 2026 Annual Regulatory Oversight Report introduced a dedicated Generative AI section for the first time — requiring documented governance over AI use cases, model risks, vendor oversight, and AI-enabled communications capture. Broker-dealers must demonstrate that technology controls are technically enforced, not just documented.
Communication Compliance
SEC Rule 17a-4 and FINRA Rule 4511 require firms to archive and supervise electronic communications. The expansion of communication channels — including messaging apps, collaboration tools, and AI-assisted communications — has made compliance significantly more complex.
Technical Capabilities
What Centience Manages Inside Financial Services Firms
Centience operates the full technology stack for financial services clients — which means governance controls are technically enforced, not advisory.
Managed Infrastructure & Endpoints
- Managed workstations, servers, and cloud environments
- Endpoint detection and response with continuous monitoring
- Access controls and privileged account management
- Network segmentation and security monitoring
- Patch management and vulnerability remediation
- Disaster recovery and business continuity governance
Communication Compliance
- Electronic communication archiving for SEC Rule 17a-4 / FINRA Rule 4511
- Supervision workflows for email, messaging, and collaboration tools
- Mobile device communication capture and archiving
- eDiscovery-ready archive management
- Surveillance and lexicon monitoring
- Communication compliance reporting
Cybersecurity Governance
- Security operations and threat monitoring
- Vulnerability management and penetration testing oversight
- Vendor and third-party risk evaluation
- Incident response governance and documentation
- NIST Cybersecurity Framework alignment
- Annual cybersecurity review documentation for regulators
AI Governance for Financial Services
- AI usage discovery — identify every AI tool in use across the firm
- AI governance policy development aligned to SEC guidance
- Vendor AI risk evaluation for third-party AI platforms
- AI monitoring and usage controls
- Documentation of AI governance program for examination
- Ongoing AI regulatory readiness monitoring
Regulatory Compliance Documentation
- Audit-ready evidence packages assembled continuously
- Controls mapping to SEC, FINRA, and state requirements
- Examination support and documentation coordination
- Written Information Security Policy (WISP) development and maintenance
- Annual review documentation and testing evidence
- Board and executive-level governance reporting
GRC Program Management
- Governance, Risk, and Compliance program oversight
- Risk assessment and controls evaluation
- Regulatory change monitoring
- Policy framework development and maintenance
- Compliance calendar management
- Third-party assessment coordination
Financial Services Organizations We Serve
A Clean Audit & Exam Track Record — Here's Why
Financial services regulators do not give credit for governance that is planned. They assess governance that is operating. The difference between a successful examination and a deficiency finding is almost always evidence — documented, organized, and retrievable.
Centience operates the technology infrastructure inside our clients' organizations. That means we are collecting governance evidence continuously — not preparing it in response to an examination notice.
When a FINRA examination begins or an SEC inquiry arrives, our clients do not scramble. The evidence package is already assembled. Controls are already documented. The technical record is already complete.
That operational posture is why Centience has maintained a documented track record of successful outcomes across client engagements.
"Regulated firms need governance that is technically enforced — not written in a policy document filed in a drawer. When examiners arrive, the evidence has to already exist."
— Orville Matias, Founder & CEO
How Data Governance Connects
FINRA Rule 4511 and SEC Rule 17a-4 require a 6-year retention baseline — but retention only works when data is classified. Financial services firms need data classification policies that identify client asset records, AI-generated outputs, and off-channel communications (WhatsApp, text) before those records can be governed. Access control governance over who can see client financial data is equally foundational to SEC examination readiness.
Data Governance ProgramRelated Governance Programs
Centience delivers continuous governance across three interconnected programs — each reinforcing the others.
Continuous AI oversight, policy enforcement, and model monitoring for broker-dealers and RIAs.
SEC Reg S-P and FINRA cybersecurity examination readiness — continuously enforced.
Three continuous governance programs built for regulated organizations.
FAQ
Financial Services Governance — FAQ
What does FINRA expect in its 2026 AI governance examinations?+
FINRA's 2026 Annual Regulatory Oversight Report introduced a dedicated Generative AI section requiring broker-dealers to assess regulatory compliance before deploying GenAI, establish supervision and governance frameworks, conduct robust testing for bias and hallucinations, monitor AI outputs continuously, and capture AI-enabled communications in books and records. Examiners will look for documented AI policies, evidence of human oversight, and vendor diligence records.
How should broker-dealers prepare for SEC FY2026 cybersecurity examinations?+
SEC FY2026 examination priorities explicitly flag cybersecurity governance, Regulation S-P compliance, identity theft prevention controls, vendor oversight, and incident response preparedness. Firms should have written cybersecurity policies, documented vendor risk assessments, an incident response plan, and audit-ready evidence of controls operating continuously — not just at the time of examination.
What is required in a FINRA-compliant AI governance framework?+
A FINRA-compliant AI governance framework must include: written policies for AI development, deployment, use, and monitoring; supervision procedures covering AI use cases and model risks; testing protocols for accuracy, bias, and hallucinations; ongoing human monitoring of model outputs; capture of AI-enabled communications in books and records; and vendor diligence for third-party AI tools. FINRA expects firms to apply existing supervisory rules to AI just as they apply to other technology.
How long does a technology governance assessment take?+
Centience governance assessments typically complete in minutes. The assessment covers infrastructure, cybersecurity posture, AI usage across the organization, and compliance readiness — and delivers a prioritized roadmap regardless of whether you engage further. No commitment is required.
FINRA and SEC Examiners Are Expanding Their Technology Governance Scope. Know Where You Stand Before They Ask.
Our financial services governance assessment identifies gaps across your infrastructure, cybersecurity posture, communication compliance, and AI environment — and delivers a prioritized roadmap before your next examination.
Or call us directly: (877) 945-7177