DORA compliance: Meeting the deadline is just the start

Introduction

DORA’s mandate emphasises the importance of operational resilience by establishing standards for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) risk management.

But while achieving compliance by the deadline is a significant accomplishment, it’s only the beginning. True resilience requires a long-term commitment, including regular automated checks, continuous security and load testing, and proactive management of new risks arising from technology upgrades and evolving threats. Sustaining resilience means consistently monitoring, adapting and improving systems and processes to stay aligned with both regulatory updates and emerging industry challenges.

DORA compliance: Beyond the initial deadline

DORA compliance is not a ‘one and done’ process that stopped at the January deadline. Operational resilience must be maintained to ensure continuing compliance.

For financial institutions, maintaining operational resilience means staying agile in the face of new risks, integrating technology updates and adapting proactively to regulatory shifts. In short, to comply with DORA, your firm must now turn its focus to the practices that will sustain and strengthen resilience over time.

Key areas for ongoing compliance and resilience

1. Continuous risk assessment and management

Now that DORA is in effect, regular ICT risk reviews are essential to keep up with emerging threats. Continuous risk assessment will enable your firm to identify vulnerabilities early and adjust risk management strategies accordingly. This proactive approach will not only strengthen your operational resilience but also position your firm to handle challenges – expected and unexpected – more effectively.

2. Incident response and recovery improvements

With compliance standards in place, your firm should regularly test and refine its incident response processes. Ongoing incident simulations can help your teams identify and close gaps in response times and effectiveness, ensuring faster recovery with minimal disruption. Continuous improvements in incident response will strengthen your firm’s resilience by keeping its teams prepared and responsive, reducing the potential impact on both operations and clients.

3. Third-party vendor management and monitoring

If your firm – as many firms do – relies on a web of external vendors, it’s critical to regularly evaluate those third parties for compliance and resilience capabilities. Now that DORA mandates vendor alignment with resilience standards, you should implement ongoing monitoring and establish contractual frameworks to ensure any partners contribute to, rather than compromise, operational stability. Strengthening these partnerships will support your firm’s long-term resilience.

Leveraging technology and automation to support compliance

1. Automated compliance testing

Automation offers significant advantages for sustaining compliance. Automated testing will reduce the manual burden of regular checks, increase accuracy and provide real-time insights you’re your firm’s compliance status. By implementing automated compliance testing tools, you can streamline regular checks, identify potential gaps early and adjust proactively. 

2. Ongoing security testing

Cyberthreats evolve rapidly, and now that DORA compliance is a requirement, continuous security testing has become even more essential. Penetration testing, vulnerability assessments and similar tools can identify and address weaknesses before they become issues. Regular security testing will strengthen your firm’s resilience against cyberthreats, align it with DORA’s objectives and minimise compliance risks. 

3. Continuous performance and load testing

Ensuring system performance is crucial for maintaining operational resilience. With DORA standards in place, regular load and stress testing will confirm whether your systems can withstand peak demands, thus safeguarding continuity. These tests align with DORA’s emphasis on operational stability and will give you critical insights into your firm’s capacity, enabling you to make any necessary improvements.

The role of strategic partners in sustaining DORA compliance

DORA is now a regulatory reality, but your firm doesn’t need to tackle meeting – and sticking to – its compliance and resilience standards alone. Strategic partnerships might play a vital role in your firm’s long-term success.

Assured Thought offers a suite of solutions that can help your firm not only maintain its compliance but also enhance its resilience.

Working with a partner firm that understands DORA’s evolving landscape would provide your firm with proactive, industry-specific support, helping you stay agile and prepared in a regulatory environment that is bound to continue to evolve.

The DORA compliance deadline may have passed, but the work towards resilience has only just begun. Achieving compliance is an accomplishment, yet sustaining it will require continuous improvement and vigilance

Now is the time for your firm to assess its current systems and plan the next steps for enhancing resilience. Partnering with an expert firm – such as Assured Thought – will make the journey more manageable, ensuring a steady approach to compliance and resilience on the evolving road ahead.