Effective in January 2023 and fully applicable as of January 17, 2025, the DORA regulation imposes a strict framework to ensure that financial institutions can withstand, respond to, and recover from any type of disruption related to information and communication technologies (ICT).
Why has the DORA regulation become essential?
The financial sector is critical infrastructure by nature. A major failure or cyberattack on a systemic bank can destabilize the entire economy. DORA harmonizes rules across Europe to prevent disparities between Member States from creating weak links in the single market. The goal is clear: to move from simple "perimeter" protection to true operational resilience.
Who is affected by DORA compliance?
The scope of DORA is one of the broadest ever defined for the financial sector. It covers:
- Financial entities: banks, credit institutions, investment firms, insurers, asset management companies, and payment service providers.
- Third-party ICT service providers: this is the big change. Cloud providers, software publishers, and data centers serving the financial sector are now directly under supervision.
The 5 pillars of the DORA regulation
To structure your DORA compliance, you must take action in five fundamental areas:
1. ICT risk management
Entities must establish a robust governance framework. This includes early detection of vulnerabilities, implementation of preventive security measures, and design of service restoration plans following incidents.
2. Reporting major incidents
In the event of a significant cyber incident, silence is no longer an option. DORA imposes strict notification deadlines (within 24 hours of detection) to the competent authorities, with a detailed report including the nature of the incident, its impact, and the remedial actions taken.
3. Operational resilience testing
All organizations must perform regular tests (vulnerability scans, network analyses). The most critical entities are subject to advanced penetration testing (TLPT), based on the TIBER-EU framework, to simulate real attacks.
4. Third-party risk management
DORA recognizes the critical interdependence between finance and technology. You must evaluate your suppliers before signing, include contractual resilience clauses, and plan exit strategies to change providers without interrupting your operations.
5. Information sharing and governance
The regulation encourages the voluntary sharing of information on cyber threats between financial institutions. In addition, the Board of Directors is now responsible for validating and monitoring the resilience strategy.
👉 Infographic - Everything you need to know about the DORA regulation
What challenges do you face in ensuring compliance?
Implementing DORA is not just a matter of updating IT systems. It is an organizational challenge.
- Technology investments: modernization of information systems to automate detection and reporting.
- Contract complexity: renegotiating hundreds of contracts with ICT suppliers to incorporate European requirements.
- Regulatory coordination: navigating between the requirements of DORA, NIS 2, and national authorities (ACPR, AMF in France).
Why use DORA software to manage your resilience?
Manual management of DORA (spreadsheets, isolated documents) is extremely risky given the penalties and the complexity of reporting.
The contribution of a GRC platform such as Tenacy
- Centralization of the risk framework: manage your resilience audits and action plans on a single dashboard.
- Automated third-party management: assess your suppliers' compliance and monitor mandatory contractual clauses.
- Incident workflow: Prepare your notification processes to meet the critical 24-hour deadline.
- Governance evidence: Provide the Board of Directors and regulators with real-time maturity reports.
💡 Practical guide – The guide to regulatory monitoring in cybersecurity
FAQ – Everything you need to know about DORA
What is the difference between DORA and NIS 2?
NIS2 is a cross-sector directive for all essential sectors. DORA is a regulation (directly applicable) specific to the financial sector. In the event of a conflict, the "special" rule (DORA) takes precedence over the "general" rule (NIS 2).
What IT tools are recommended to comply with DORA?
Itis advisable to combine technical monitoring tools (SIEM, EDR) with GRC software to manage overall compliance, third-party risks, and the documentation required by regulators.
Which services offer a DORA compliance solution?
Tenacyoffers a platform that natively integrates the DORA framework. It allows you to centralize incident management, conduct resilience testing, and demonstrate your compliance to supervisory authorities.
Where can I find a DORA-compliant cybersecurity audit?
The auditmust be conducted by certified experts capable of assessing operational resilience. To prepare for this audit, Tenacy allows you to perform continuous self-assessments in order to correct any discrepancies before the official inspection.
Conclusion: turning the DORA constraint into a strategic advantage
The DORA regulation is an opportunity to build a more stable financial ecosystem. By strengthening your resilience, you protect your assets, but you also maintain the crucial trust of your consumers and partners!
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