Corgentum Consulting, a provider of integrated operational due diligence reviews and background investigations, has expanded its suite of background investigation services for investors seeking to evaluate reputational risk at fund managers.
Corgentum’s offering now includes social media and expanded web searches. including analysis and monitoring of social media related to funds and key personnel including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, deep web and dark web searches, as well as ongoing investigative monitoring which covers background developments with global watchlist notifications including monitoring of traditional media, court filings, regulatory and arrest records.
In addition, Corgentum offers flash reports – red flag report findings which are available in hours, not days and are useful as a first level screen to learn of any critical background issues prior to dedicating further resources to the operational due diligence process. Negative information screens, meanwhile, are data-driven proprietary filters that highlight the biggest background risks, rather than drowning investors in meaningless data.
Corgentum’s focused searches mean investors can now run checks in specific areas as opposed to an entire background report. Examples include a focused regulatory infraction history search, or a bundled criminal and litigation search, useful for large volumes of reports or limited-scope individual reviews. The firm has also introduced increased options for more frequent ongoing report updates including monthly, quarterly and annual investigation options
“Investors are no longer satisfied with stand-alone fund manager background checks that are backwards looking in nature. Corgentum’s new investigative offerings provide investors and operational due diligence professionals with more nimble investigative solutions that dive deeper into the evolving nature of reputational risk, particularly on the social media front,” says Jason Scharfman (pictured), Managing Partner of Corgentum Consulting.
Corgentum’s background checks leverage the firm’s extensive investigative report library and incorporate artificial intelligence based algorithms to facilitate comprehensive investigations. The firm’s background reviews will also continue to cover a comprehensive list of key risks across five core areas including criminal checks, litigation searches, regulatory inquiries, traditional media searches and factual information searches including verification of previous employment and education.
Corgentum’s new operational due diligence offerings include cybersecurity due diligence. Investors are increasingly exposed to cybersecurity risks at fund managers in which they invest. This service compliments Corgentum’s existing due diligence offerings by conducting a deeper dive into a fund manager’s cybersecurity preparedness including an analysis of cybersecurity policies, network and firewall information security architecture and cyber testing programs. Corgentum’s cybersecurity reviews also incorporate analysis of a fund’s preparedness to deal with trending malware and hacker techniques to steal data and trick fund managers, and their service providers, into initiating fraudulent cash transfers including spoofing, social engineering and spear phishing attacks. These comprehensive reviews also evaluate broader operational risk implications of cybersecurity by evaluating compliance with regulations relating to investor data protecting including the forthcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Corgentum’s enhanced fund analytics, meanwhile act as a compliment to operational due diligence reviews. Corgentum now offers a wide range of fund analysis including monitoring for unusually consistent returns, benchmark tracking error analysis, peer comparisons and attribution analysis.
“Our new enhanced capabilities will continue to allow our clients to better leverage background investigation data, and conduct more comprehensive ongoing operational due diligence,” says Scharfman.
