Securities Exchange Act 15 USC Sec. 78j(b) — Rule 10b-5(a) is a federal regulation that prohibits fraudulent and deceptive activities related to the purchase or sale of securities. It is a part of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which is enforced by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Rule 10b-5(a) prohibits any person from making any untrue statement of material fact or omitting to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. It also prohibits any person from engaging in any manipulative or deceptive device, scheme, or artifice to defraud in connection with the purchase or sale of any security. There are three types of Securities Exchange Act 15 USC Sec. 78j(b) — Rule 10b-5(a): 1. The Misleading or Omitting Material Fact Rule — which prohibits any person from making an untrue statement of material fact or omitting to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. 2. The Manipulative or Deceptive Device Rule — which prohibits any person from engaging in any manipulative or deceptive device, scheme, or artifice to defraud in connection with the purchase or sale of any security. 3. The Insider Trading Rule — which prohibits any person from trading in a security while in possession of material non-public information.