Financial Services Firm Replaces Executive WhatsApp with Governed Encrypted Messaging
A mid-market financial institution's C-suite was coordinating through personal WhatsApp groups - market-sensitive decisions, board discussions, and incident responses flowing through a consumer platform with no governance, no retention control, and no access management. Following a compliance review that flagged the FCA and MiFID II exposure, the firm deployed Sanket.Work as a governed encrypted executive communication platform.
Discuss Your RequirementsAudience
Financial services compliance teams, CISOs, and executives evaluating secure messaging alternatives to consumer apps for regulated business communication.
The Story
From risk to resolution
Executive and board communication moved from personal WhatsApp to a governed, encrypted Sanket.Work deployment
Compliance team gained administrator controls, user provisioning, and instant revocation capability
Market-sensitive M&A and board discussions now protected by end-to-end encryption with zero-knowledge server
Eliminated the FCA and MiFID II regulatory exposure created by executives using personal WhatsApp for market-sensitive business communication
Full deployment detail
Executive and board communication moved from personal WhatsApp to a governed, encrypted Sanket.Work deployment
Compliance team gained administrator controls, user provisioning, and instant revocation capability
Market-sensitive M&A and board discussions now protected by end-to-end encryption with zero-knowledge server
DORA-aligned out-of-band channel established for ICT incident response, tested in quarterly exercises
FCA communication governance requirements addressed with retention-controlled, auditable messaging platform
Zero consumer platform exposure for C-suite communication - Meta, Apple, and foreign jurisdiction eliminated
Measurable outcomes
Eliminated the FCA and MiFID II regulatory exposure created by executives using personal WhatsApp for market-sensitive business communication
Established a DORA-compliant out-of-band communication channel that survived the firm's first ICT continuity exercise
Gave the compliance team demonstrable governance over executive communication for the first time - provable in supervisory examination
Deployment path
Sanket.Work was deployed as the designated executive communication platform within four weeks, with identity integration, retention policy configuration, and DORA documentation completed before go-live.
Questions about this deployment
Common questions
What triggered this firm's decision to replace executive WhatsApp?
A compliance review identified that C-suite WhatsApp usage for market-sensitive discussions created potential MiFID II and FCA electronic communications exposure. The review also flagged that consumer app usage could not satisfy the firm's GDPR controller obligations for business communication data.
How was the transition from WhatsApp to Sanket.Work managed?
The compliance and IT teams led a phased rollout: first for the C-suite, then for the broader leadership group. The familiar messaging interface minimised retraining. The compliance team documented the deployment for regulatory evidence purposes.
How is the DORA out-of-band channel tested?
The firm conducts quarterly ICT continuity exercises that include an out-of-band communication drill using Sanket.Work. Exercise logs are retained as DORA documentation evidence for supervisory examination.
A similar outcome is possible for your organisation
We work with each organisation through a structured discovery and deployment process. Contact us to begin a confidential evaluation.