Executive summary
DORA reframes technology risk as operational resilience, evidence, and executive accountability for the financial ecosystem.
Risk model
Impact x likelihood matrix
Low impactMonitor and review periodically
High likelihoodAssign owner and due date
High impactEscalate to management reporting
Critical riskCreate action plan and evidence cadence
What it is
- It combines ICT risk management, incident reporting, resilience testing, third-party risk, and governance.
- It focuses on the business impact of technology disruptions.
- It supports management body oversight with repeatable evidence.
Who it applies to
- Financial entities and critical technology providers serving financial services.
- Cloud, SaaS, cybersecurity, data, and infrastructure providers.
- Technology companies selling into the EU financial ecosystem.
Why it matters
- DORA expects ICT risk ownership at management level.
- It makes critical service and vendor dependencies visible.
- It requires readiness for incident reporting and resilience testing.
Practical roadmap
- Define scope and map critical ICT services.
- Create risk registers, incident classification, and escalation flows.
- Set resilience test calendars and finding remediation tracking.
- Review critical vendor contracts, exit plans, and monitoring controls.
- Build executive reporting and evidence management routines.
Common mistakes
- Treating DORA as a legal checklist only.
- Separating critical vendor dependency from technology inventory.
- Waiting until an incident to define reporting thresholds.
Frequently asked questions
Is DORA only for banks?
The core scope is financial entities, but critical ICT providers and technology vendors selling into finance may face DORA-driven expectations.
What is a fast first step?
Create a single inventory of critical ICT services, owners, vendors, and escalation paths.
Related guides and resources
This page is educational and does not constitute legal advice, an audit opinion, or a compliance guarantee. Material decisions should be reviewed with qualified legal, compliance, and assurance advisors.