DORA Compliance Checklist to Actionable Steps

Achieving compliance with the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) may seem challenging, but with the right approach, your organisation can meet the requirements while also enhancing operational resilience. Below is a step-by-step guide that breaks down the compliance process, ensuring you cover all essential areas and keep your business on the right track.

DORA Regulatory Compliance Steps

Step 1. Conduct a DORA Compliance Gap Assessment

The first step is to evaluate your current ICT risk management framework against the DORA requirements. This will identify compliance gaps and provide a clear picture of where you need to focus your efforts.

Actions:

• Review your existing ICT risk policies and compare them against DORA’s five pillars
• Identify areas of weakness or non-compliance
• Generate a detailed report outlining your findings and recommendations

For professional assistance, explore our DORA Compliance Services, where we conduct thorough gap assessments and provide expert guidance.

Step 2. Develop a DORA Compliance Roadmap

Once gaps are identified, the next step is to create a compliance roadmap that outlines the actions required to achieve full compliance. A well-structured roadmap ensures that your team stays organised and meets deadlines efficiently.

Elements of a Compliance Roadmap:

• Action items with clear descriptions of tasks
• Assigned owners for each task to ensure accountability
• Target completion dates and budget estimates

A roadmap not only guides compliance efforts but also helps secure buy-in from stakeholders by providing visibility into timelines and resource needs.

Step 3. Engage Stakeholders Through Workshops

Compliance is a team effort, and getting your key stakeholders involved early is crucial. Holding stakeholder workshops helps align leadership teams with the compliance strategy and ensures they understand the required actions, resources, and timelines.

Workshop Objectives:

• Educate business units on DORA’s importance and requirements
• Ensure cross-departmental alignment on remedial actions
• Foster buy-in from senior leadership to allocate the necessary resources

Step 4. Allocate Budget and Resources

Conduct a financial impact assessment to determine estimated costs for DORA compliance, including hiring staff, purchasing software/hardware, and system upgrades.

Costs to Consider:

• Operational Costs: Account for ongoing costs, such as audits, security testing, and employee training.
• Infrastructure Upgrades: Identify necessary enhancements, like advanced cybersecurity and robust incident response systems.
• Technology Assessment: Evaluate existing technologies to ensure they meet compliance needs; consider replacements or new integrations.
• Third-Party Vendor Assessments: Assess third-party vendors’ compliance and security; budget for audits or certifications as needed.
• Contractual Obligations: Allocate resources for reviewing and renegotiating vendor contracts to align with DORA requirements.
• Resource Allocation: Determine staffing needs for compliance, which may include hiring, reallocating staff, or providing training.
• Internal Coordination: Distribute resources across departments (IT, compliance, risk management) for a unified approach to DORA compliance.

Step 5. Implement Ongoing Monitoring and Testing

Compliance doesn’t end with a checklist. DORA requires continuous monitoring, testing and reporting to ensure operational resilience over time.

Ongoing Monitoring Activities:

• Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration tests.
• Incident reporting to track and respond to ICT-related disruptions.
• Third-party risk assessments to manage outsourced service providers effectively.

To further strengthen your resilience, explore our Threat & Risk Assessment Service.

The Best Step. Partner with Experts for Continuous Support

Achieving and maintaining DORA compliance can be complex, especially for institutions with limited internal resources. Partnering with experts like Risk Crew ensures that your compliance journey is smooth and stress-free. Our team provides ongoing support to address any challenges, answer questions, and prevent surprises along the way.

Risk Crew’s DORA Compliance Services includes:

• Initial gap assessment, compliance roadmap, stakeholder workshop and continuous support
• Expert guidance on managing third-party risks and ICT incidents
• Support in building a long-term compliance culture across your business

Stay in Step. Test, Review and Refine the Roadmap

It’s critical that you continuously review and adjust your roadmap based on internal performance and regulatory changes.

DORA Framework Implementation Timeline

Here is what it should look like. This overview outlines the key phases, activities and deadlines to consider for compliance, providing a roadmap to help you prioritise your efforts.

Achieving Compliance as a Competitive Advantage

DORA compliance isn’t just a regulatory requirement – it’s an opportunity to build trust, resilience, and reputation. Organisations that take a proactive approach will be better prepared to navigate disruptions and gain a competitive edge. With the right roadmap, aligned leadership, and ongoing support – compliance becomes not a burden but a strategic advantage.