At a company like Tower, technology is their edge and definitely a competitive advantage. Having a system that is fast, reliable and scales is key to running a profitable automated trading operation. I worked for a similar trading company and technology was definitely not a cost center.

If enforcement actions are rare, it's probably because these firms are playing clean for the most part, contrary to popular belief. If you trade 5-10% of the market, regulators are going to audit you every year. They are looking for even the smallest issues to give a fine, even minor things like not having the right Head Trader's name on your supervisory forms after someone quits.