The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced Friday that it is taking steps to guard against inappropriate trading by its employees.

New internal rules governing securities transactions for all SEC employees will require preclearance of all trades, and will prohibit staff trading in the securities of companies under investigation regardless of whether the employee has personal knowledge of the investigation.

The SEC is also hiring an outside firm to develop a computer compliance system to track, audit and oversee employee securities transactions and financial disclosure in real time.

As well, the regulator is consolidating responsibility for oversight of employee securities transactions and financial disclosure reporting within the Ethics Office.

“It only makes sense that we have a world-class compliance program — just as we expect from those we regulate,” said SEC chairman Mary Schapiro. “The employees at the SEC have a well-deserved reputation for integrity and professionalism. These measures will further bolster our standing by helping to prevent not only an actual impropriety, but the appearance of one as well.”

After arriving at the SEC, Schapiro learned about potential weaknesses in the internal programs that monitor compliance with these rules and directed prompt action to follow through on the efforts already underway to strengthen the agency’s systems, it said.

IE