What is monitoring?

The scheduled, continuous re-screening of entities or counterparties against watchlists to detect post-intake status changes.

Last Reviewed: 2026-05-27Plain-English reference · not legal advice

Plain-English Summary

Monitoring (continuous compliance monitoring) is the systematic, scheduled re-screening of your stored database of counterparties (students, payers, vendors, or partners) against updated sanctions and watchlists. It ensures that if a previously cleared party is subsequently added to a restricted list, your compliance team is immediately alerted.

Why This Matters

Government watchlists are updated frequently in response to global events. Screening a party only once at onboarding leaves a gap if they are added to a list later. Continuous monitoring closes this gap, ensuring that active relationships remain compliant over time.

Explanation Depth

Concept Explanation

Government watchlists change regularly. Monitoring is the process where the system automatically re-checks your existing list of active contacts or transactions against updated lists, alerting you if anyone's status changes.

When You'll See This in SecurePoint

SecurePoint supports separate monitoring systems: System Observability (internal service health), Education Monitoring (student/payer re-screening at configurable intervals: 7, 14, 30, or 90 days, defaulting to 7), and Third-Party Monitoring (vendor and partner risk screening).

What You Should Do Next

Configure the monitoring sync interval for your organization. For SecurePoint Education, continuous monitoring supports 7, 14, 30, and 90-day frequencies (defaulting to 7 days if no specific organization configuration is defined). Regularly review the monitoring alert queue to resolve new matches.

What Can Go Wrong

Confusing systems observability (server uptime/performance monitoring) with compliance monitoring can lead to security gaps. Additionally, failing to address new alerts in the monitoring queue immediately can result in ongoing transactions with newly sanctioned parties, creating major regulatory exposure.

Sources & References

OFAC Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines

Related Terms

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Legal Disclaimer

This glossary entry is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. SecurePoint USA is not a law firm, does not provide legal representation, and this system is not a replacement for qualified sanctions or export control counsel. While we strive to present accurate, up-to-date summaries of regulatory terms, regulations are complex and subject to change. Always consult with your institution's legal team or a certified compliance professional before making legal or operational determinations.