Blog DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act): What banks, insurers, and IT service providers need to know now

DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act): What banks, insurers, and IT service providers need to know now

Cyberattacks on banks, financial service providers, and insurance companies are increasing rapidly. With the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), the EU has established a uniform framework for the digital resilience of financial and insurance companies, as well as their IT partners. But what exactly is behind it? Who is affected by the regulation? And how can it be implemented efficiently and practically? Find out in this article.

Teamwire, Jun 17 2025

More than just another law

A horror scenario: a targeted cyberattack paralyzes your IT systems. Payment transactions, customer portals, internal communication – everything comes to a standstill. Meanwhile, supervisory authorities are expecting detailed reports in a few hours. Customers are getting restless. Your reputation is at stake. Your license may be too.

The EU has created the DORA Digital Operational Resilience Act precisely for such scenarios. The new law has been mandatory since January 2025. And it imposes stricter requirements for the digital operational stability of banks, insurance companies, financial service providers, and their IT partners.

DORA goes much further than previous regulations: For the first time, all players in the digital supply chain are held accountable – from management to the IT department to external service providers.

But what exactly does DORA require? And how can companies implement the new requirements in practice?

In this article, you will get a clear overview and learn how Teamwire can help you to meet the new requirements efficiently.

What is DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act)?

The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) has been in force since January 2023 and has been mandatory since January 17, 2025.

The aim:

Financial companies must set up their systems in a way that ensures they remain functional even in the event of the most severe IT disruptions and attacks. For the first time, DORA makes not only banks and insurers, but also their entire IT service providers, responsible.

This places the entire digital supply chain under a uniform European regulatory framework – a first in the financial sector. The aim is to mitigate systemic risks and enhance confidence in the stability of the European financial system.

The five pillars of DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act)

DORA Compliance Pillar 1: ICT risk management

Financial companies must record, asses, and manage their ICT risks holistically. This includes preventive security measures, emergency plans, clear responsibilities, and processes to maintain business operations even in the event of serious incidents.

DORA Compliance Pillar 2: Handling ICT incidents

All serious IT incidents must be reported and documented immediately. Companies must establish early warning systems. They also require robust processes to analyze and evaluate incidents and report them to supervisory authorities within tight deadlines.

DORA Compliance Pillar 3: Regular digital resilience tests

Regular stress tests check how crisis-proof and resilient systems, processes, and organizations are. In addition to technical stress tests (known as penetration tests), simulations of complex crisis scenarios also play a key role in comprehensively assessing resilience.

DORA Compliance Pillar 4: Management of third-party risks

IT service providers who provide critical systems are increasingly coming into focus. Their selection, monitoring, and ongoing evaluation are becoming an integral part of company-wide risk management. This also means that contracts with third-party providers must be concluded in accordance with DORA specifications. Dependencies must be identified and managed following the established rules.

DORA Compliance Pillar 5: Sharing information about cyber threats

The structured sharing of relevant vulnerabilities, threats, and incidents among financial actors fosters the collective resilience of the entire sector.

By the way, the article “End-to-end encryption: secure or deceptive?” may also be of interest to you.

Who does DORA apply to?

DORA applies across the board to almost all players in the European financial sector:

Banks, insurance companies, investment firms, payment service providers, fund companies, stock exchanges, and crypto service providers.

But that’s not all:

The DORA Digital Operational Resilience Act is also particularly relevant for IT and communications service providers that act as critical third-party providers for financial institutions. These so-called ICT third-party service providers will also be subject to regulation in the future if they provide systems, networks, or communication platforms that are crucial for the business continuity of their customers.

Numerous public authorities, municipal financial administrations, and municipal providers of financial services may also be covered by the regulation if they provide corresponding services or use external ICT service providers.

For some of these providers, DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) creates an additional compliance challenge beyond the NIS 2 requirements.

Why secure communication is a central component of DORA

Even the best IT infrastructure is of little use if communication breaks down in an emergency. Especially in crises, secure and stable communication becomes a crucial pillar of digital resilience. Managers, IT departments, supervisory authorities, and external partners must be able to communicate with each other smoothly, quickly, and, above all, securely in the event of incidents.

A cyberattack, for example, requires companies to submit reports to supervisory authorities within tight deadlines. At the same time, internal crisis teams must be activated, measures must be coordinated, and affected systems must be secured. No time should be lost, and sensitive information should never be exchanged via insecure communication channels, such as email, insecure messengers, or unprotected cloud systems.

Even in the event of technical failures, such as when networks or IT systems are compromised, emergency teams must remain capable of communicating effectively.

This is where Teamwire comes into play: as a specialized business messenger for critical infrastructures and highly regulated industries, Teamwire closes precisely this gap.

How Teamwire supports organizations with DORA compliance

Teamwire was developed with a clear focus on providing organizations in highly sensitive and regulated areas such as the financial sector, critical infrastructure, public safety, and healthcare with a (fail) secure and GDPR-compliant communication platform with special emergency functions. Teamwire thus covers numerous requirements resulting from the specifications of the DORA Digital Operational Resilience Act:

Highest security standards:
Full encryption, including metadata, GDPR-compliant hosting in Germany, Zero Trust Security, ISO 27001, and BSI C5 certifications.
Fail-safe emergency communication:
Push-to-talk, group communication, alerting functions, live location tracking, and broadcasts ensure coordination even in the event of IT failures.
Compliance and auditability:
Audit-proof archiving, central user administration, role-based access control, and complete traceability of communication processes.
Prevent shadow IT:
Teamwire completely replaces insecure consumer messengers, such as WhatsApp or Telegram, and ensures a clear separation between professional and private communication.
Seamless integration:
API interfaces enable integration into existing systems and automation processes.

Check now: How well is your crisis communication already DORA-compliant?

The DORA Digital Operational Resilience Act places the highest demands on digital resilience in the financial sector. Many companies have already strengthened their IT security, but stable, secure, and auditable crisis communication often remains the weak point.

With Teamwire, you can easily, quickly, and efficiently close this gap.

Secure communication even in the event of IT failures
GDPR and DORA-compliant emergency communication
Protection against shadow IT and data leaks
Comprehensible documentation for the supervisory authorities

Let us check together how well your organization is already prepared for DORA. Request your free demo now and make your crisis communication DORA-proof.

Explore our case studies to discover how authorities and organizations are already leveraging Teamwire successfully.

FAQs on DORA, the Digital Operational Resilience Act

Frequently asked questions about DORA and Teamwire

The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) introduces numerous new requirements. We answer the most critical questions in our FAQ. This will quickly provide you with clarity on what is essential during implementation and how Teamwire can offer you targeted support.

What is the aim of the DORA Digital Operational Resilience Act?

The aim is to sustainably strengthen the digital resilience of the European financial system and reduce systemic risks.

When does the DORA Digital Operational Resilience Act apply?

Since January 17, 2025, all affected organizations are required to comply.

What are the penalties for non-compliance?

Failure to comply with the DORA requirements can result in severe penalties, regulatory consequences, and, in serious cases, even the withdrawal of licenses. Companies also risk considerable reputational damage and a loss of trust from customers and partners.

Does DORA also cover IT service providers?

Yes, DORA includes the entire digital supply chain for the first time. External IT and communication service providers are also considered so-called ICT third-party service providers and must meet strict requirements. The responsibility for selecting, monitoring, and controlling these service providers lies with your company.

Why is secure communication so crucial for DORA?

In crises, sensitive information must be exchanged quickly, reliably, and securely. Among other things, DORA requires prompt reporting processes to supervisory authorities and uninterrupted internal crisis communication, even in the event of IT failures. Insecure channels, such as email or consumer messenger, are not sufficient for this.

How does Teamwire help with implementation?

Teamwire offers a highly secure, fail-safe, and audit-proof communication platform specifically designed for critical infrastructures and regulated industries. Among other things, companies can use it to

Ensure crisis communication even in the event of IT failures
Exchange sensitive data in compliance with GDPR and DORA
Eliminate shadow IT
Fully document communication processes for audits

Does Teamwire replace our existing communication systems?

Teamwire optimally complements your existing IT and communications landscape for crisis and emergency operations. Teamwire can be easily integrated into your existing systems via API interfaces and, if required, can also be established as the primary communication solution.

How quickly can we introduce Teamwire in our company?

Generally, implementation is possible within a few days to a few weeks, depending on the number of licenses required. Our team will support you with the implementation, configuration, and training of your employees, enabling you to benefit quickly from a maximum level of security and compliance.

Is Teamwire also suitable for public authorities and municipal institutions?

Yes, Teamwire is already being used by numerous authorities, municipal administrations, and critical infrastructure. For public institutions in particular, Teamwire offers the necessary security, stability, and auditability that DORA also requires.

How does Teamwire differ from conventional messengers?

Unlike consumer messengers such as WhatsApp or Telegram, Teamwire meets all the compliance and security requirements of regulated industries. These include:

Full encryption incl. metadata
GDPR-compliant hosting in Germany
Auditability and audit-proof archiving
Zero-trust security architecture
Certifications such as ISO 27001 and BSI C5

Can we test Teamwire for free?

Yes, you can test Teamwire extensively as part of a free demo and see the benefits for yourself without obligation. Simply arrange a demo appointment with our team.

Still have questions?

If you have individual questions about DORA implementation or Teamwire, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Our experts will advise you personally and demonstrate, in a short live demo, how Teamwire can optimally prepare your organization for the new requirements.

➡️ Request a free demo now.

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