Stock Trading Platform - Security and Privacy
Authentication and Authorization
Multi-Factor Authentication
Primary Authentication:
- Username + Password
- Biometric (Face ID, Touch ID)
- Hardware security key (YubiKey)
Secondary Authentication:
- SMS OTP
- Email verification
- Authenticator app (TOTP)
- Backup codes
Session Management:
- JWT tokens (15-minute expiration)
- Refresh tokens (24-hour expiration)
- Device fingerprinting
- IP whitelisting (optional)
- Automatic logout after inactivityAuthorization Levels
Roles:
- TRADER: Place orders, view portfolio
- ADMIN: Manage users, view all data
- COMPLIANCE: Audit access, reporting
- SUPPORT: View user data, assist users
Permissions:
- order:place, order:cancel, order:modify
- account:view, account:withdraw
- admin:users, admin:config
- compliance:audit, compliance:report
Implementation:
- JWT contains user role and permissions
- API Gateway validates permissions
- Service-level checks
- Audit all permission checksFinancial Data Security
PCI DSS Compliance
Requirements:
- Secure network architecture
- Protect cardholder data
- Vulnerability management
- Access control
- Network monitoring
- Security policies
Implementation:
1. Tokenization:
- Never store card numbers
- Use payment processor tokens
- Separate payment database
2. Network Segmentation:
- Payment services isolated
- Firewall rules
- No direct internet access
3. Encryption:
- TLS 1.3 for all traffic
- AES-256 for data at rest
- Key rotation every 90 daysAccount Security
Account Protection:
- Two-factor authentication required
- Withdrawal verification (email + SMS)
- IP whitelisting for API access
- Device authorization
- Suspicious activity detection
Withdrawal Limits:
- Daily limit: $50,000
- Weekly limit: $200,000
- Large withdrawals: Manual review
- Cooling period: 24 hours for new accountsTrading Security
Order Validation
Pre-Trade Checks:
1. Authentication:
- Valid session token
- User authorized to trade
- Account active
2. Risk Checks:
- Sufficient funds
- Position limits
- Order size limits
- Price collar checks
3. Fraud Detection:
- Unusual order patterns
- Rapid order placement
- Wash trading detection
- Layering/spoofing detection
4. Compliance:
- Pattern day trader rules
- Restricted securities
- Trading haltsMarket Manipulation Prevention
Detection:
1. Wash Trading:
- Same user buying and selling
- No economic purpose
- Artificial volume
2. Layering/Spoofing:
- Place fake orders
- Cancel before execution
- Manipulate prices
3. Pump and Dump:
- Coordinated buying
- Artificial price increase
- Sell at peak
4. Front-Running:
- Trade ahead of client orders
- Use non-public information
- Unfair advantage
Actions:
- Real-time detection
- Automatic alerts
- Account suspension
- Report to regulatorsData Encryption
Encryption at Rest
Database:
- PostgreSQL TDE
- AES-256 encryption
- Encrypted backups
- Key rotation (90 days)
Sensitive Data:
- Account numbers: Encrypted
- SSN/Tax IDs: Encrypted
- Bank details: Encrypted
- Separate encryption keys
Audit Logs:
- Immutable storage
- Encrypted
- Tamper-proof
- 7-year retentionEncryption in Transit
TLS Configuration:
- TLS 1.3 (minimum TLS 1.2)
- Strong cipher suites
- Perfect forward secrecy
- Certificate pinning
API Security:
- All APIs over HTTPS
- WebSocket over TLS (WSS)
- FIX over TLS
- Certificate validationRegulatory Compliance
SEC Regulations
Rule 15c3-5 (Market Access):
- Pre-trade risk controls
- Prevent erroneous orders
- Capital and margin checks
- Regulatory compliance
Rule 606 (Order Routing):
- Disclose order routing
- Best execution
- Payment for order flow
- Quarterly reports
Regulation SHO (Short Selling):
- Locate requirement
- Close-out requirement
- Threshold securitiesAudit Trail Requirements
Required Data:
- Every order (placed, modified, cancelled)
- Every trade execution
- Every account change
- Every risk event
Retention:
- 7 years minimum
- Immutable storage
- Tamper-proof
- Instant retrieval
Format:
- Structured data (JSON)
- Timestamped (nanosecond precision)
- Digitally signed
- Indexed for search
Reporting:
- Daily reports to regulators
- Monthly summaries
- Annual audits
- On-demand queriesKYC/AML Compliance
Know Your Customer (KYC):
- Identity verification
- Address verification
- Employment information
- Source of funds
Anti-Money Laundering (AML):
- Transaction monitoring
- Suspicious activity reports (SAR)
- Currency transaction reports (CTR)
- Pattern detection
Implementation:
1. Onboarding:
- Collect required documents
- Verify identity (ID, passport)
- Check sanctions lists
- Risk assessment
2. Ongoing Monitoring:
- Transaction patterns
- Large deposits/withdrawals
- Rapid trading
- Unusual behavior
3. Reporting:
- File SARs within 30 days
- File CTRs for >$10K transactions
- Maintain records for 5 yearsAccess Control
Internal Access
Principle of Least Privilege:
- Minimum necessary access
- Role-based access control
- Time-limited access
- Audit all access
Access Levels:
- Read-only: View data
- Operator: Execute operations
- Engineer: Modify code
- Admin: Full access
Authentication:
- Hardware security keys
- Biometric authentication
- Multi-factor required
- Session timeout (15 minutes)
Audit:
- Log all access
- Monitor anomalies
- Alert on suspicious activity
- Regular reviewsAPI Security
API Key Management:
- Unique key per user
- Separate keys for trading vs data
- Key rotation every 90 days
- Revocation on compromise
Rate Limiting:
- Per-user limits
- Per-IP limits
- Adaptive throttling
- DDoS protection
Request Signing:
- HMAC-SHA256 signature
- Timestamp validation
- Nonce for replay protection
- Verify on every requestIncident Response
Security Incident Plan
Phases:
1. Detection (<1 minute)
2. Containment (<5 minutes)
3. Eradication (<1 hour)
4. Recovery (<4 hours)
5. Post-Mortem (within 1 week)
Incident Types:
- Unauthorized access
- Data breach
- DDoS attack
- Market manipulation
- System compromise
Response Team:
- Security Lead
- Engineering Lead
- Compliance Officer
- Legal Counsel
- PR/CommunicationsTrading Halt Procedures
Triggers:
- Security breach
- System malfunction
- Regulatory order
- Extreme volatility
Actions:
1. Halt all trading immediately
2. Cancel pending orders
3. Notify users
4. Notify regulators
5. Investigate issue
6. Resume when safe
Communication:
- Real-time status page
- Email notifications
- Social media updates
- Press release if majorPrivacy Protection
User Data Privacy
Data Collection:
- Minimum necessary data
- Clear purpose for each field
- User consent required
- Opt-out options
Data Usage:
- Trading operations only
- No selling to third parties
- No advertising use
- Aggregated analytics only
Data Retention:
- Active accounts: Indefinite
- Closed accounts: 7 years (regulatory)
- Trading data: 7 years
- Personal data: Delete on request (with exceptions)GDPR Compliance
User Rights:
1. Right to Access:
- Download all data
- JSON/CSV format
- Within 30 days
2. Right to Erasure:
- Delete personal data
- Exceptions: Regulatory requirements
- Anonymize trading data
3. Right to Portability:
- Export trading history
- Machine-readable format
- Transfer to competitors
4. Right to Rectification:
- Update personal information
- Verify changes
- Audit trailFraud Detection
Real-Time Fraud Detection
Fraud Signals:
- Unusual trading patterns
- Rapid account changes
- Large withdrawals
- Coordinated activity
- Account takeover indicators
ML Model:
- Features: 100+ signals
- Model: Gradient boosting
- Training: Historical fraud cases
- Inference: <10ms
Actions:
- Low risk: Allow
- Medium risk: Additional verification
- High risk: Block and review
Monitoring:
- Real-time alerts
- Manual review queue
- Automated responses
- Continuous improvementAccount Takeover Prevention
Detection:
- Login from new device
- Login from new location
- Unusual trading activity
- Password change + withdrawal
Response:
1. Challenge with 2FA
2. Email/SMS verification
3. Temporary account lock
4. Manual review
Recovery:
- Identity verification
- Reset credentials
- Review recent activity
- Reverse fraudulent tradesThis comprehensive security framework ensures the trading platform protects user funds, maintains regulatory compliance, and prevents fraud while enabling high-frequency trading operations.