IT for trading desks where a frozen screen at the open costs real money

Hedge Funds IT Services

A hedge fund's edge lives in a few systems and a few people: if the OMS hangs at the open, a portfolio manager's account is hijacked, or research leaks, the damage shows up in P&L and in investor letters.

Talk to Us About Hedge Funds IT 888.792.8080

SOC 2 Aligned

Responsive Support

20+ Years Experience

At a glance

Your day runs on market data terminals, order and execution management systems, connections to prime brokers and fund administrators, research models on shared drives, and communications regulators expect you to keep.

We run IT and security for hedge funds and alternative managers, from emerging managers launching a first fund to established multi-strategy shops: trading desk infrastructure, identity, communications archiving and incident planning. We serve funds in Texas and nationwide.

IT that keeps the desk trading, research in-house, investors confident.

A desk that's ready before the open, models that stay inside the firm, and a Regulation S-P program you can actually show.

Before the opening bell

Where a hedge fund's risk really sits

Funds spend heavily on research and talent, then sometimes run them on IT that was set up in a hurry at launch. A small team with privileged access to capital, models and investor data is exactly what attackers look for. The fix isn't a bigger IT department. It's a few controls done properly.

01 · The pressure

The open doesn't wait for a reboot

Before the market opens, analysts are updating models, traders are staging orders in the OMS, and market data is streaming across several screens per desk. Orders route to brokers, allocations go to prime brokers, and the fund administrator expects clean trade files at day's end. Investor relations is answering due diligence questionnaires. A dead workstation, failed connectivity to a broker or locked-out portfolio manager during market hours isn't an inconvenience; it's a trading risk.

OMS and EMS ready before the open
Trade files flowing to prime brokers and admins
Due diligence questionnaires from allocators

02 · How it breaks

A PM's inbox, a forged redemption, a walk-out

Attackers target portfolio managers and CFOs because their accounts move money and approve wires. A phished login lets them watch email quietly until a redemption or capital movement comes up, then send convincing payment changes. Investor portals get credential-stuffed. Departing analysts copy models to personal cloud storage on their last week. Traders use personal messaging apps for business, which creates recordkeeping problems. Broad admin rights given to everyone at launch mean one compromise reaches everything.

Hijacked PM and CFO mailboxes watching for wires
Models copied out by departing staff
Business conversations on unarchived personal apps

03 · What we change

Phishing-resistant sign-in and a guarded perimeter

We move the investment team and operations to phishing-resistant MFA, remove standing admin rights, and set conditional access so fund systems only open from managed devices. We archive email, Teams and approved mobile messaging to meet recordkeeping needs, and block unapproved apps. Data loss prevention watches for models and position files leaving the firm. Wire and redemption changes require out-of-band verification. We write and test the incident response program Regulation S-P now expects.

Phishing-resistant MFA for PMs and operations
Archiving for email and approved messaging
Data loss alerts on models and position files

04 · The after

Allocators get answers and the desk gets uptime

With those controls in place, the desk boots ready every morning and traders call when they need help, not when the screen freezes. Your CCO can hand an examiner the incident response program, access reviews and archiving records. When an allocator's operational due diligence team sends their questionnaire, you answer every security question with evidence. When an analyst leaves, their access ends that afternoon and you can show what they took, if anything.

Operational due diligence answered with evidence
Exam-ready incident response program
Departures handled without losing the models

Systems we keep running

Bloomberg Terminal
SS&C Eze
Enfusion
Charles River IMS
Advent Geneva
FlexTrade
Backstop Solutions

Rules we help you meet

SEC Regulation S-P (as amended 2024)
SEC Regulation S-ID
SEC Rule 204-2 (books and records)
SEC Rule 206(4)-7
NFA Interpretive Notice 9070

What We Offer

Comprehensive solutions tailored for Houston-area businesses

Trading Desk Infrastructure

We build and support multi-monitor trading workstations, low-latency office networking, redundant internet circuits and power backup so the desk is ready before the open. We work with your OMS, EMS and market data vendors on installs and connectivity issues, and we schedule maintenance outside market hours so nothing changes mid-session.

Communications Archiving and Recordkeeping

SEC-registered advisers have books-and-records obligations that now draw close attention to off-channel messaging. We set up archiving for email, Teams and approved mobile messaging, configure retention and supervision tools, and block or monitor unapproved apps on managed devices. Your CCO decides the policy; we make the technology enforce it.

Regulation S-P Incident Response Program

The amended Regulation S-P requires covered firms to maintain written incident response programs and oversee service providers. We help you build the technical side: detection, containment and recovery procedures, vendor security reviews and tabletop exercises. Notification decisions and the legal reading of the rule stay with your counsel and CCO.

Research and Model Protection

Models, research notes and position files are your intellectual property. We apply sensitivity labels, data loss prevention policies and alerts on bulk downloads or uploads to personal cloud, and we lock down USB and printing where it makes sense. When someone leaves, we preserve their mailbox and devices for review.

Wire and Redemption Fraud Controls

Capital calls, redemptions and vendor payments are prime targets for payment fraud. We secure finance and investor relations accounts with phishing-resistant MFA, flag lookalike domains and forwarding rules, and help you set a mandatory callback procedure for any change in banking instructions. Investor relations staff learn to spot a forged redemption letter.

Fund Launch and Emerging Manager Setup

Launching a fund means standing up identity, devices, email, archiving, file storage and security in weeks, often while answering allocator diligence. We build a clean, documented environment from day one, so you don't carry launch-day shortcuts into your first exam or your next fund. Allocators see a mature setup on the first diligence call.

Why Choose LayerLogix?

Serving businesses throughout the Greater Houston area including Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Atlanta, Nationwide.

A Desk That's Ready at the Open

Redundant circuits, monitored workstations and after-hours maintenance mean the trading desk boots ready every morning. When something does fail during market hours, you call someone who knows your OMS and market data setup and treats it as urgent.

Cleaner Operational Due Diligence

Allocators and consultants run detailed operational due diligence before investing. We keep your security controls, policies, access reviews and test results documented, so questionnaires and onsite reviews go smoothly and the security section never holds up a subscription.

Exam Preparation Without the Scramble

When examiners ask for your incident response program, vendor oversight records or communications archive, the documentation already exists and reflects how things actually run. Your CCO spends less time assembling evidence and more time on the substance.

IP That Stays Inside the Firm

Data loss controls, managed devices and fast offboarding make it much harder for research and models to walk out the door. If someone tries, you get an alert and a record of what happened, which matters if lawyers get involved.

Our Process

We meet with your COO and CCO to map the trading day, investor operations, vendor connections and current regulatory obligations around technology.

We review identity, admin rights, devices, archiving coverage, vendor access and backup, ranking findings by trading impact and exam risk.

We fix the highest-risk items first, usually phishing-resistant MFA, admin rights and wire controls, scheduling desk changes outside market hours.

We set up archiving, data loss prevention and conditional access, then document an incident response program and vendor review process with your CCO.

We run a tabletop exercise with the investment and operations teams, including a fake payment change and a lost laptop scenario.

We support the firm during business hours, including pre-market, with after-hours emergency response for active incidents and 24/7 SOC monitoring through managed detection and response.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you support our OMS, EMS and market data platforms?▼

We support the infrastructure and work closely with the vendors. That means workstation builds, network connectivity, circuits, firewall rules for broker and vendor connections, user accounts and troubleshooting when something breaks. Application configuration, like order routing, compliance rules in the OMS or data entitlements, stays with the vendor and your operations team. When there's a problem, we figure out whether it's local or on the vendor's side and work the ticket with them so your traders aren't stuck on hold during market hours.

What does the amended Regulation S-P mean for our IT?▼

The amendments require covered institutions, including SEC-registered investment advisers, to maintain written policies for an incident response program, oversee service providers that handle customer information, and notify affected individuals in certain cases. On the IT side, that means documented detection, containment and recovery procedures, logging that shows what happened, vendor security reviews and periodic testing. We help build and test those pieces. Your counsel and CCO interpret the rule for your firm and make notification decisions; we supply the technical facts.

How do you handle off-channel communications?▼

We start with what your CCO's policy says is allowed. Then we archive approved channels like email, Teams and any sanctioned mobile messaging, configure retention and supervision tools, and use device management to block or restrict unapproved apps on firm phones. For personal devices, we can separate work apps and data so firm communications are captured without touching personal content. We also help train staff on why it matters. The archive and controls give your CCO evidence that the policy is actually enforced.

We're launching a fund. When should we bring you in?▼

Ideally before the first employee starts, because launch-day shortcuts tend to stick. We set up identity with MFA, managed laptops and phones, email and archiving, file storage with sensible permissions, and baseline security policies. We document it in a way allocators can review during operational due diligence. Setting it up properly at launch is far easier than fixing shared admin accounts and unarchived messaging after your first exam. We can also help you evaluate OMS and fund admin connectivity needs as you choose vendors.

How do you protect against a fake redemption or wire request?▼

Technology and procedure together. We secure accounts that can approve or request payments with phishing-resistant MFA, flag lookalike domains and spoofed senders, and alert on new mailbox forwarding rules, which attackers often create to hide their activity. The procedure is a mandatory callback to a known number for any new or changed banking instructions, whether from an investor, vendor or your own PM. We help you write that procedure, train the team, and test it with a simulated request during a tabletop exercise.

Do you work with our fund administrator and prime broker?▼

Yes, on the connectivity and security side. We set up secure file transfer, VPN or portal access as required, manage the user accounts your team uses for those platforms, and make sure MFA is enabled wherever they support it. As part of vendor oversight, we can help you collect and review their security documentation. Their internal systems are their responsibility, but how your firm connects to them, and who on your team has access, is something we manage and document.

Do you provide Hedge Funds IT Services in Houston and nearby areas?▼

Yes. LayerLogix is based in the Greater Houston area and delivers hedge funds IT services to businesses across Houston and the surrounding communities, including The Woodlands, Spring, Katy, Sugar Land, Conroe, Cypress, and Pearland. For most Houston-area clients we can be on-site the same day when something needs hands-on attention, and our help desk is available during business hours, with after-hours emergency support. Call 713-571-2390 to check coverage for your specific address.

What does Hedge Funds IT Services cost for a Houston business?▼

Pricing depends on your size and what you need, so we do not publish a one-size-fits-all number — but Houston businesses generally pay a flat, predictable monthly fee rather than surprise hourly bills. We start with a free, no-obligation assessment of your current setup, then give you a clear quote in plain English with no hidden costs. That way you know exactly what you are getting and what it costs before you commit.

Ready to Get Started?

Contact LayerLogix today for a free consultation. We serve businesses throughout Houston, Dallas, Austin, and the surrounding Greater Houston area.

Schedule Free Consultation Call 888.792.8080