IP/RDC Review Procedures

  1. Identify the credit union’s delivery methods and supporting infrastructure:

    • Identify the delivery methods the credit union offers and uses
    • Review the credit union network topology to determine the infrastructure involved with RDC.
    • Review the credit union's data flow or process flow diagram to understand the RDC function, relationship with third-party processor (if applicable), and relationship with RDC client.
  2. Determine if the board of directors and management developed a formal strategic plan for the implementation of RDC and specific delivery methods.

  3. Determine if management completed a comprehensive and effective risk assessment of all RDC methods, supporting infrastructure, and operational activities.

  4. Determine if management developed an effective risk management program based on the results of an effective risk assessment and that the program addresses risk mitigation and fraud monitoring.

  5. Assess the adequacy of the policies, procedures, and other staff guidance. Determine if they address all facets of IP/RDC operations, internal controls, and processes including, at a minimum:

    • Member qualifications and monitoring

    • Requirements for member agreements

    • Training of staff and members

    • Provide educational materials to members
    • Ongoing monitoring of RDC program by management:

      • MIS reports of volume, activity, and user access

      • System and user transaction limits

    • Ongoing monitoring of RDC members:

      • Frequency and reason for returns

      • Fraud and abuse

      • Detection of duplicates

  6. Review retention periods for physical checks and image archives, as well as the physical and logical security of archives.

  7. Determine the adequacy of record management.

  8. Review IP/RDC-related internal audits performed since the prior exam. Review the status of any audit exceptions and management's response to exceptions.

  9. Determine the adequacy of management’s oversight of RDC operations.

  10. Assess the adequacy of business continuity planning, including:

    • Business impact analysis and risk assessment process and results

    • Scope, frequency, and results of BCP testing

FedLine Review Procedures

If a credit union uses FedLine, examiners will also complete the following review steps:

  1. Evaluate policies and procedures for processing FedLine transactions to determine whether adequate internal controls have been established:

    • Determine if written policies are appropriate for the credit union’s complexity
    • Ensure credit union controls address adequate separation of duties
    • Walk through the procedures with credit union staff to identify any control weaknesses
    • Determine that credit union follows established written policies and procedures.
  2. Review physical and technical controls

    • VPN device, FedLine security tokens, and workstation management
    • Anti-virus, personal firewall, network security, and network segregation of FedLine router and workstations.
  3. Review access and service controls

    • Official authorization list, system limits, user limits, EUAC, management reports, and audit logs
    • Service alerts, dual-control verification, service, and system settings
    • Review FedLine reports and screen prints, including but not limited to:

      • Subscribers and Roles Report – Provides a list of organization’s current subscribers and access levels
      • Event Tracker Report – Provides credential issuance and maintenance activity over a given period of time, and an audit trail of activity that may be used for subscriber research. Examiners should request and review this report for the past 12 months.
      • FedPaymentsSM Manager – The "Funds Processing Options" screen can be reviewed to determine the system settings. The credit union will provide screenshots.
      • Application Audit Log – This screen lists any changes to the processing options (Settings, Verification, and E-mail Notification). The credit union will provide screenshots.
  4. Review Operational Controls

    • Management oversight and review
    • Independent review (audit)
    • Incident response
    • Business continuity planning and testing

Last updated September 25, 2017