The digital landscape is constantly evolving, bringing both opportunities and challenges. With increasing reliance on technology, ensuring the resilience of critical IT systems has become paramount. This is where the EU’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) comes in, setting a new standard for ICT risk management in the financial sector. At Mobilise, we’re not only DORA compliant ourselves, but we’re also ideally positioned to guide our clients on their journey to compliance.
What is DORA?
DORA aims to establish a unified framework for digital operational resilience, requiring financial entities and critical ICT third-party providers to implement robust ICT risk management, incident reporting, operational resilience testing, and third-party risk management. In essence, it’s about ensuring the financial sector can withstand, absorb, and recover from ICT disruptions.
How Does DORA Differ from Other Frameworks?
While DORA shares some common ground with other compliance frameworks, it has its own distinct focus:
- GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): GDPR focuses on data protection and privacy, while DORA centres on the operational resilience of ICT systems. Although they address different aspects, they are complementary. Robust ICT resilience is crucial for protecting data, and GDPR compliance can contribute to overall operational resilience.
- ISO 27001: ISO 27001 provides a framework for information security management systems (ISMS). DORA’s requirements for ICT risk management and governance align closely with ISO 27001. Having an ISO 27001 certified ISMS is a strong foundation for DORA compliance. However, DORA goes further by specifying detailed requirements for testing, incident reporting, and third-party risk management, which may require enhancements to existing ISO 27001 controls.
- Cyber Essentials Plus: Cyber Essentials Plus provides a baseline of cybersecurity controls. While valuable, DORA requires a more comprehensive and mature approach to ICT risk management, including advanced testing and incident reporting. Cyber Essentials Plus is a good starting point, but further measures are needed for DORA compliance.
DORA builds upon these existing frameworks but introduces specific requirements tailored to the financial sector’s unique challenges. It emphasises advanced testing methodologies, enhanced incident reporting, and a strong focus on third-party risk management, particularly in cloud-heavy environments.
Mobilise: Your DORA Compliance Partner
At Mobilise, we understand the complexities of DORA compliance. We’ve invested in achieving DORA compliance ourselves, giving us firsthand experience and deep expertise in the regulation’s requirements. Our DORA compliance demonstrates our commitment to robust ICT risk management and operational resilience, giving our clients the confidence that they are working with a partner who understands the challenges and opportunities of DORA.
How We Can Help You:
Mobilise offers a comprehensive suite of services to help you navigate the DORA landscape:
- Gap Analysis: We’ll assess your current ICT risk management framework and identify gaps against DORA’s requirements.
- Remediation Planning: We’ll develop a tailored roadmap to address the identified gaps, prioritising critical areas and aligning with your business objectives.
- Implementation Support: We’ll assist you in implementing the necessary changes to your processes, systems, and documentation.
- Testing and Validation: We’ll help you design and execute operational resilience tests, including threat-led penetration testing, to validate your compliance.
- Third-Party Risk Management: We’ll help you assess and manage the risks associated with your third-party ICT providers.
- Training and Awareness: We’ll provide training to your staff to ensure they understand DORA’s requirements and their roles in maintaining operational resilience.
Mobilise’s DORA Compliance: A Testament to Our Commitment
We’re proud to announce that Mobilise is DORA compliant. This achievement reflects our dedication to maintaining the highest standards of digital operational resilience. It demonstrates our ability to manage ICT risks effectively, respond to incidents promptly, and ensure the continuity of our services. This commitment extends to our clients. By partnering with Mobilise, you gain access to our expertise and experience, enabling you to achieve and maintain DORA compliance efficiently and effectively.
Conclusion:
DORA represents a significant step towards strengthening the digital operational resilience of the financial sector. Mobilise is here to help you navigate this complex landscape. Our DORA compliance and comprehensive service offerings make us the ideal partner for your journey to compliance. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you achieve digital operational resilience and meet the requirements of DORA.
