New report validates IBM Cloud services are implemented against, and adhere to, the IBM Cloud Framework for Financial Services.

At IBM Cloud, we understand the importance of being able to demonstrate the effectiveness of our processes and controls to clients who look to us to help them transform and run mission-critical workloads and sensitive data on our cloud. It is paramount IBM Cloud services, datacenters, operations, technology, security and risk management practices meet industry standards and client expectations. This is especially important for highly regulated industries, including financial services, that must keep up with the ever-evolving regulatory landscape.

IBM Cloud for Financial Services™ is a first-of-its-kind cloud designed by the industry to help clients as they work to mitigate risk and accelerate cloud adoption. Central to our cloud is the IBM Cloud Framework for Financial Services developed in collaboration with industry experts, to help clients automate and monitor their security and compliance posture through security and controls built into the platform. As IBM Cloud services are onboarded to IBM Cloud for Financial Services, IBM conducts a rigorous validation process that assures the services meet IBM Cloud Framework for Financial Services technical, administrative and physical controls requirements.

In addition, IBM engages a third-party professional services firm to complete an independent review of IBM Cloud services and processes. The IBM Cloud for Financial Services Agreed Upon Procedures (AUP) Report was commissioned by IBM and completed by a big four public accounting firm in accordance with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). The report demonstrates to IBM Cloud for Financial Services clients that IBM Cloud services have been implemented against, and adhere to, the IBM Cloud Framework for Financial Services technical, administrative and physical control requirements.

The report addresses controls for all Focus Areas of the IBM Cloud Framework for Financial Services including:

• Active Monitoring & Response
• Advanced Data Protection
• Automated Application & Workload Protection
• Enhanced Authentication & Access Management
• Focused Risk Management & Compliance
• Operational Excellence
• Unified Infrastructure Security & Resilience

Within each focus area, there are multiple control families and controls, and the report provides details on control descriptions, procedures performed and results.

Clients can leverage the report as part of their internal risk management practices while also demonstrating due-diligence and oversight of their cloud service providers to their regulators. With this report, we aim to continue to help clients use IBM Cloud for Financial Services with a high degree of confidence and transparency.

Contact your IBM account team to obtain a copy of the AUP report.

In addition to this report, IBM Cloud compliance and trust certifications further affirm IBM’s commitment to the protection of customer data and applications.

Learn more about IBM Cloud compliance programs.