DORA
What is DORA?
DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) is a European Union regulation that came into effect on January 16, 2023, with full compliance required from January 17, 2025 onward. It is designed to strengthen the digital resilience of the financial sector — ensuring that financial institutions and their critical IT service providers can withstand and recover from all types of IT-related disruptions and cyber threats.
In simple terms: DORA makes cybersecurity, business continuity, and incident preparedness legally mandatory for EU-based financial firms — and any third-party IT provider they rely on.
Why DORA Matters
Whether you’re a regulated financial institution or simply part of its supply chain, DORA has implications — and benefits:
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Improved Cyber Resilience
Systems must be protected against cyberattacks, and recovery processes must be in place and tested regularly. -
Mandatory Risk Management
You must identify and control risks from your entire IT stack — including cloud, SaaS, infrastructure, and vendors. -
Better Incident Response
You’ll benefit from structured procedures for reporting, investigating, and learning from security incidents. -
Stronger Third-Party Oversight
If you rely on us as your MSP or private cloud provider, our controls and responsibilities are clearly documented and auditable — ensuring accountability. -
Regulatory Peace of Mind
Working with a provider who aligns with DORA helps you meet your own legal obligations.
The Key Pillars of DORA
DORA is built around five core areas, each addressing a critical part of operational resilience:
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ICT Risk Management
You must identify, assess, and manage technology risks across your entire organization — including third parties. -
Incident Reporting
Major IT-related incidents must be reported to regulators within strict timeframes — with a structured follow-up process. -
Operational Resilience Testing
Your IT environment must be tested regularly — including disaster recovery and business continuity tests. -
Third-Party Risk Management
Any external IT service provider (like an MSP or cloud provider) must meet strict oversight, contractual, and security requirements. -
Information Sharing
Regulated entities are encouraged to participate in threat intelligence sharing initiatives — improving sector-wide preparedness.
How We Apply DORA as Your MSP
At Aginion, we help you comply with DORA by building resilience into every layer of the services we deliver. Whether you’re fully regulated or simply want to meet the same high standards, here’s how we create value:
| DORA Requirement | What We Do at Aginion | Benefit to You |
|---|---|---|
| ICT Risk Management | Maintain risk registers, threat intelligence programs, and ISO 27001 controls | Tailored protection for your risk profile |
| Incident Management | Defined, tested processes for handling and reporting incidents | Fast, compliant responses to security events |
| Continuity & Recovery Testing | Regular BCP/DR testing | Proven recovery strategy in place |
| Third-Party Oversight | Maintain a register of suppliers, due diligence records, and SoW-specific SLAs | Transparent vendor accountability |
| Secure Architecture | Hardened systems, MFA, encryption, monitoring, and patch automation | Reduced likelihood of incidents |
| Governance & Contracts | DORA-specific amendments in MSAs and Statements of Work | Clear roles and regulatory alignment |
| Training & Awareness | Security awareness and DORA-specific training for our staff | Skilled and compliant support team |
We also offer DORA-aligned documentation templates, including:
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ICT risk registers
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Threat registers
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DORA-specific contract clauses
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Business continuity procedures
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Incident reporting workflows
These can be tailored for your business to help you meet Article 28 (ICT Third-Party Providers) and other key sections of the regulation.
In Summary
DORA is reshaping how financial firms and their IT partners approach digital risk and resilience. As your MSP, we don’t just support your IT — we help you build operational resilience into it.
Whether you’re preparing for your own DORA audit or want to adopt the same high standards, our services are aligned to help you stay secure, compliant, and in control.
Need help assessing your DORA compliance? Contact us for a discovery session.