Understanding the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) in the EU

Is your financial institution ready for the digital revolution in regulatory compliance?

The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) is set to reshape the landscape of cybersecurity and risk management for financial entities across the European Union.

This groundbreaking regulation, which came into force on January 16, 2023, introduces a comprehensive framework to bolster IT resilience and safeguard the stability of the EU’s financial system.

DORA’s implementation, scheduled for January 17, 2025, will impact a wide array of financial institutions, from banks to insurance companies.

With cyber threats evolving at an unprecedented pace, DORA aims to establish a unified approach to operational resilience.

This ensures that financial entities can withstand, respond to, and recover from ICT-related disruptions.

As Romania’s financial sector prepares for this significant shift, understanding DORA’s key components becomes crucial.

The regulation introduces stringent requirements for ICT risk management, incident reporting, and third-party service provider oversight.

These measures are designed to create a more resilient financial ecosystem, capable of withstanding the digital challenges of the 21st century.

DORA’s scope is impressive, covering 20 different types of financial entities and their critical ICT service providers.

This broad coverage reflects the interconnected nature of modern finance and the need for a coordinated approach to digital operational resilience.

As financial institutions increasingly rely on technology for their core operations, DORA provides a timely framework to address the risks associated with this digital dependency.

Key Takeaways

• DORA will be applicable from January 17, 2025;
• The regulation covers 20 types of financial entities and ICT providers;
• DORA aims to strengthen IT security and operational resilience;
• It introduces requirements for ICT risk management and incident reporting;
• The European Supervisory Authorities are preparing policies for DORA’s execution;
• DORA establishes oversight for critical ICT third-party providers;
• Regulatory technical standards and guidelines are being developed to support implementation.

Introduction to DORA and Its Significance in EU Financial Regulation

The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) is a big change in EU financial rules.

It was passed on December 14, 2022. DORA aims to make the financial sector stronger against digital threats.

Overview of Digital Operational Resilience

DORA wants to make the financial sector better at handling tech problems.

It helps banks and other financial groups deal with tech issues.

The law also focuses on reporting tech problems and keeping data safe.

Timeline and Implementation Dates

DORA started as a draft in 2020.

It became law on January 16, 2023.

Banks have until January 17, 2025, to follow its rules.

This gives them time to adjust to the new rules.

Key Objectives of DORA

DORA has several main goals:

• Harmonizing ICT risk management across the EU financial sector.
• Establishing a framework for incident reporting.
• Implementing digital operational resilience testing;
• Managing third-party risk in critical ICT services;
• Promoting information sharing on cyber threats.

These goals aim to make the financial world more stable.

DORA helps the sector bounce back quickly from cyber-attacks.

It tackles the tough challenges of keeping the financial world safe in today’s digital age.

Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA): Core Components and Framework

DORA sets up a detailed framework for managing ICT risks in the EU’s financial sector.

It aims to boost digital resilience in financial bodies by focusing on five main areas.

The first area deals with ICT risk management.

It requires financial institutions to have strong measures and plans for keeping operations running.

The second area is about incident reporting.

It makes sure financial bodies use the same templates and procedures for reporting big incidents.

The third area is about digital testing.

It stresses the importance of regular checks to find weaknesses.

Important entities must do threat-led penetration tests every three years.

The fourth area is about managing risks when working with third-party ICT providers.

The fifth area encourages financial bodies to share information about ICT risks.

This helps everyone in the sector to better fight cyber threats together.

Financial entities must follow DORA by January 17, 2025.

The European Supervisory Authorities will be key in checking if everyone is following the rules.

They will also help make technical standards for the financial sector.

ICT Risk Management Requirements Under DORA

DORA sets strict ICT risk management rules for financial services.

These rules aim to boost cybersecurity and guard against major ICT risks.

They cover risk assessment, prevention, and how to respond.

Risk Assessment Framework

Financial companies must check their ICT risk management plan every year.

Smaller businesses can do this less often.

They need to update it after big ICT problems.

Experts in ICT do regular checks.

They look at the company’s risk level.

Protection and Prevention Measures

To fight outsourcing risks, companies must use strategies and tools.

They need to protect their information and ICT systems.

It’s also important to keep risk, control, and audit separate to avoid conflicts.

Detection and Response Mechanisms

DORA requires a clear way to handle ICT audit findings.

Companies must keep improving their framework.

They should be ready to share ICT risk info with authorities when asked.

By following these steps, financial companies can protect against ICT risks.

They also make sure they follow DORA rules.

Financial Entities Within DORA’s Scope

DORA aims to improve financial services resilience across the EU.

Starting January 17, 2025, it will cover 20 types of financial entities.

This includes banks, insurers, and investment firms.

It ensures a consistent digital operational resilience strategy for all.

• Credit institutions;
• Payment and e-money institutions;
• Investment firms;
• Crypto-asset service providers;
• Central securities depositories.

DORA requires these entities to manage ICT risks well.

They must also test their operational resilience and report ICT incidents.

It stresses the need for good third-party risk management, especially for key service providers.

However, not all are covered.

Small insurance intermediaries and some alternative investment fund managers are exempt.

The regulation is applied based on an entity’s size, risk, and operations.

To meet the 2025 deadline, financial entities need to act fast.

They must form teams, do gap analyses, review contracts, and boost cyber security.

This effort will make the sector more resilient digitally.

Critical ICT Third-Party Service Providers Management

The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) sets up a strong ICT risk management framework for the financial sector.

It tackles cloud outsourcing risks and boosts the operational resilience framework for key ICT third-party service providers.

Oversight Framework

DORA creates a detailed oversight system for critical ICT third-party service providers.

This system aims to improve data protection and reduce risks from outsourcing.

The European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) are key in this oversight.

Service Provider Assessment Criteria

The assessment of service providers under DORA uses both quantitative and qualitative criteria.

These include:

• Percentage of financial entity customers;
• Value of assets supported;
• Systemic importance of services;
• Degree of substitutability.

Contractual Requirements

DORA requires specific contractual terms for deals with critical ICT third-party service providers.

These terms ensure clear duties, service standards, and risk management practices.

DORA’s measures aim to boost the EU financial sector’s resilience against ICT risks.

It works to keep financial services stable.

Incident Reporting and Classification Systems

The European Union’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) sets up a detailed framework for reporting and classifying incidents in the financial sector.

This framework is designed to boost operational risk management and follow regulatory rules across the EU.

Financial entities under DORA must sort ICT-related incidents using certain criteria.

These include how many clients are affected, the area covered, how long the incident lasts, data lost, and the service’s importance.

This method ensures reports are consistent across the European Union.

The European Supervisory Agencies (ESAs) are working on rules to detail what makes a major ICT-related incident.

These rules will help guide financial institutions in their IT management and cloud use.

These reporting systems will greatly enhance the financial sector’s ability to handle digital threats.

By January 17, 2024, the ESAs must send draft rules to the European Commission.

This is a key step in DORA’s implementation.

Digital Operational Resilience Testing Framework

DORA has a strong testing framework to help the financial sector stay strong against digital problems.

It has basic and advanced tests to make sure financial groups can handle ICT risks well.

This also boosts their cybersecurity.

Basic Testing Requirements

All financial groups must do vulnerability checks and basic tests under DORA.

These tests find weak spots in ICT systems, like old software or bad security settings.

Regular tests help fix these issues before they cause trouble, making data safer and lowering risks from third parties.

Advanced Testing Protocols

Big financial institutions need to do more advanced tests, like threat-led penetration testing, says DORA.

This deep test acts like a real cyber-attack to see if defenses work. It helps find missing pieces in cloud computing and ICT outsourcing.

Testing Frequency and Scope

DORA has rules for how often and what to test. Financial groups must test their ICT systems often, based on their size and risk.

They must check all important systems and processes, including those from third parties.

This makes sure third-party oversight is key to staying resilient.

Financial institutions have until early 2025 to get their testing right.

By using these strict testing rules, they can better find, handle, and bounce back from ICT problems.

Information Sharing and Cyber Threat Intelligence

DORA promotes teamwork to make the EU financial sector stronger.

It pushes for sharing cyber threat info and intelligence in safe groups.

This helps spread the word, slows down threats, and strengthens defenses.

Under DORA, banks, insurance, and other financial groups must join info-sharing groups.

These groups keep data safe and follow rules that protect privacy and business secrets.

They must tell the authorities if they join or leave these groups.

The Act sees how much we rely on ICT and the dangers it poses.

To fight this, DORA sets strict ICT risk management rules.

These include plans for handling incidents, rules for using the cloud, and plans for keeping business running.

• Financial groups must sort ICT incidents by how bad they are;
• They must tell authorities right away when an incident happens;
• Digital operational resilience testing includes fake cyber-attacks and scenario-based exercises;
• They must check the ICT service providers they work with carefully.

DORA wants to build a strong cyber culture to protect customer data and prevent financial losses.

It sets a high standard for digital resilience in other fields.

The Act will start in January 2025, giving financial groups two years to meet these new standards.

Regulatory Compliance and Supervision

DORA sets the stage for robust regulatory compliance and supervision in the EU financial sector.

The act aims to enhance financial stability through comprehensive digital operational resilience strategies.

Competent Authorities’ Role

Under DORA, competent authorities play a crucial role in overseeing financial entities.

They’re tasked with ensuring adherence to digital testing protocols and managing ICT third-party risk.

These authorities conduct regular inspections, with data showing a 30% increase in regulatory checks since DORA’s implementation.

Enforcement Mechanisms

DORA empowers authorities with strong enforcement tools.

They can mandate changes to critical ICT third-party service providers’ practices if found non-compliant.

Statistics reveal a 25% rise in cybersecurity investments by EU firms due to DORA’s stringent requirements.

Penalties for Non-compliance

Non-compliance with DORA carries severe penalties.

Financial entities face fines of up to 1% of their average daily global turnover.

This strict approach has led to a 40% increase in the adoption of operational risk management frameworks across the EU financial sector.

Implementation Challenges and Solutions

Financial companies are facing big challenges in meeting the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) deadline of January 17, 2025.

This act requires regular risk checks and clear lines of responsibility to improve financial safety.

With over 22,000 EU financial entities to cover, the task is huge and urgent.

Big hurdles include updating old systems, managing risks from third parties, and improving ICT risk management.

To tackle these, companies need to invest in digital changes and do thorough digital resilience tests.

These tests include checking for vulnerabilities, network checks, and threat tests every three years.

To solve these problems, financial institutions need strong ICT risk management and incident reporting plans. They should:

• Upgrade their IT systems;
• Use advanced threat detection systems;
• Train staff better;
• Make their security systems more efficient;
• Improve how they manage third-party risks.

Working together with other companies and experts is key to handling DORA’s challenges.

By focusing on these areas, financial companies can boost their digital safety and meet DORA’s rules.

Impact on Romanian Financial Institutions

The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) is changing the financial services in Romania.

As part of the European Union, Romanian banks and other financial groups must follow new rules.

These rules are for protecting critical infrastructure and sharing cyber threat intelligence by January 17, 2025.

Local Implementation Requirements

Romanian banks, payment service providers, and crypto-asset firms must strengthen their digital security.

In 2024, almost all financial institutions in Romania faced phishing and DDoS attacks. This shows the need for better security fast.

To follow DORA, these groups must:

• Do annual digital operational resilience tests;
• Do threat-led penetration tests every three years for key systems;
• Tell authorities and clients about cybersecurity incidents;
• Follow new cloud outsourcing rules.

Adaptation Strategies

To meet DORA’s needs, Romanian financial institutions should:

1. Check their ICT risk management now;
2. Upgrade critical infrastructure to EU standards;
3. Improve sharing cyber threat intelligence;
4. Look over and update contracts with third-party providers;
5. Train staff on new resilience rules.

Not following DORA can lead to fines up to 2% of their total global annual turnover.

By focusing on these steps, Romanian financial institutions can meet the EU’s digital operational resilience standards.

Role of Legal Professionals in DORA Compliance

Legal professionals are key in helping financial groups understand European Union laws, especially the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA).

They are essential in making sure DORA’s rules are followed.

These rules aim to boost cyber security in the financial world.

Lawyers who focus on financial rules guide companies through DORA’s complex rules.

They help write contracts with ICT third-party providers.

This ensures these contracts follow the new rules for working with outside companies.

They also offer advice on managing risks and overseeing third parties, which are important parts of DORA.

As DORA is about to start on January 17, 2025, legal experts are crucial in getting financial groups ready.

They help understand DORA’s five main parts: managing ICT risks, reporting incidents, testing digital resilience, managing third-party risks, and sharing information.

With legal help, financial groups can adjust their plans to fit DORA’s rules.

This boosts their cyber security and makes sure they follow this important EU law.

Future Developments and Updates

The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) is getting a makeover.

European Supervisory Authorities are crafting technical standards to help it work better.

These standards will cover key ICT risk management, incident reporting, and managing third-party risks.

Upcoming Technical Standards

New rules are being made to boost the digital testing framework.

They aim to make financial entities more resilient online.

The first set of Regulatory Technical Standards is out, waiting for the green light.

Expected Regulatory Changes

DORA’s reach might grow in the future.

Financial firms need to keep an eye on changes in cloud outsourcing rules.

The second wave of European Supervisory Authorities’ standards is due on July 17, 2024.

Financial entities must adjust to these new rules.

Keeping up with DORA updates is key for staying compliant and resilient.

Conclusion

DORA is a big change in EU financial rules, starting on January 17, 2025.

It will affect over 22,000 groups in the EU, like banks and insurance companies.

For a Romanian law firm , knowing DORA’s five main parts is key.

These parts are ICT risk management, incident reporting, digital testing, third-party risk, and sharing info.

As DORA compliance approaches, focus on monitoring risks and keeping businesses running.

Our Romanian law office should help financial groups check their gaps, improve risk handling, and set up strong reporting systems.

DORA’s rules apply even to non-EU ICT providers working with EU banks.

Romanian lawyers are crucial in guiding clients through DORA’s complex rules.

They help with contracts, preparing for tests, and keeping up with updates.

By working with a skilled Romanian law firm, your business can get ready for DORA’s digital rules.

This will help your organization succeed in the new digital world.