The UK government’s elections bill risks importing analogue assumptions into a digital threat landscape

If universities in the West teach courses on sanctions and economic warfare, we shouldn’t be surprised by the emergence of a parallel world teaching the art of circumvention.

This paper discusses the rising issue of fraud in the UK, particularly focusing on the role of money mules in facilitating authorised push payment fraud and the implications for national security and ...

This research briefing by Allison Owen examines intermediary services that convert virtual assets to fiat currency in cases related to three groups: Hamas, Hezbollah and ISIS. This research brief is b...

The era of artificial intelligence as an ‘emerging technology’ is over; the dawn of AI-enabled sanctions evasion is here, threatening to fundamentally reshape global financial security.

The government’s recently published sanctions strategy under-promises, overdelivers and sets a vision for the future use of sanctions. Now the work begins.

This online webinar brings together Gonzalo Saiz, Research Fellow at CFS and author of the research briefing, and Jessica Davis, an expert on terrorism and illicit financing, to discuss how terrorist and extremist groups exploit online gaming platforms for fundraising activities. The session reviews documented cases, analyse the ways gaming and related platforms facilitate financial support for extremist activities, and outline targeted policy recommendations to address these emerging risks. This webinar event is supported by the NATO Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme.

Podcast Episode · STR: Suspicious Transaction Report · 20/06/2025 · 34m

A look behind the curtain at the financial dimension of Russia’s attempts to undermine Moldova’s 2024 presidential election and EU referendum.

Whistleblowers could transform the UK’s sanctions enforcement regime, if the law catches up.

The latest UK fraud statistics put pressure on the UK government’s future Fraud Strategy to finally take decisive action

This report synthesises the insights collected during the Yerevan roundtable held to evaluate Armenia’s response to geopolitical pressures, to assess enforcement of sanctions frameworks and examine vu...

How the compliance systems of financial institutions have adapted in response to post-2022 trade restrictions on Russia.

A new report from the Financial Action Task Force examines how financial intelligence can be used to protect children from online sexual exploitation.

Despite the G7’s efforts, oil revenue is still filling the Kremlin’s coffers. A new approach to restricting Russian income is needed.

This Policy Brief presents an assessment of the current UK system to counter illicit finance, the identification of key missing elements, and an analysis of implications and root causes of the UK's ap...

Trump’s shift to unilateral tariff enforcement weakens the international systems on which sanctions depend. Europe must lead in rebuilding credible enforcement.

This conference report covers the discussions at a February 2025 online workshop on the UK’s experience with ransomware sanctions to date.

Join us for a discussion on the financial dimension of foreign interference in democratic processes.

In this video from our 'Finance and Security in Brief' series, Tom Keatinge, Director of CFS at RUSI, discusses the rapidly growing importance of economic security in Europe. He explains why nations are reassessing their economic security in response to geopolitical shifts and highlights key EU efforts. Tom also shares insights on the CFS European Economic Security Taskforce, which brings together policymakers, academia, and the private sector to tackle this critical issue.

As threats from hostile states rise, the defences of Western democracies against financial interference remain dangerously weak.

The UK government has announced a new sanctions regime targeting organised immigration crime. How does it ensure these new sanctions have teeth?

This report details the discussions at a roundtable involving public officials from the European Commission and the UK, as well as experts from Belarus and Central and Eastern Europe, on strategies fo...

This research analyses the impact of whistleblower reward programmes and scrutinises whether the concerns that have been raised regarding their implementation have eventuated in practice. Furthermore,...

If Europe doesn't approach economic security with unity and urgency, it will fall behind as the rules of the game change.