Thursday, March 11, 2021
Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Examinations (the “Division”) released its 2021 examination priorities. The priorities reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including how it has increased risks related to cybersecurity; a new focus on climate change; and appear to recognize concerns raised by the recent trading in GameStop stock.
Impact of COVID-19
The onset of the work-from-home environment arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, has, among other things, increased the SEC’s concerns about “endpoint security, data loss, remote access, use of third-party communication systems and vendor management.” Consequently, the Division will review whether firms have taken appropriate steps to: