Strengthening Digital Operational Resilience for a Global Financial Services Firm
Client
A global financial services organization with multiple international branches and a large customer base, operating complex IT, cloud, and third-party environments while handling highly sensitive financial and customer data.
Challenge
With the enforcement of the EU Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), the organization needed to ensure enterprise-wide compliance across ICT risk management, incident response, operational resilience, and third-party oversight.
Key challenges included:
ICT Risk Assessment & Regulatory Alignment
Identifying gaps in ICT risk controls and aligning governance, risk, and security practices with DORA regulatory requirements.
Operational Resilience & Business Continuity
Strengthening resilience capabilities to ensure continuity of critical business services during cyber incidents, system failures, and operational disruptions.
Policy, Governance & Control Frameworks
Establishing and formalizing policies, procedures, and governance structures to meet DORA’s requirements for ICT risk management, testing, and oversight.
Third-Party & ICT Supplier Risk Management
Assessing and strengthening controls over critical ICT service providers, cloud vendors, and outsourced technology partners.
Audit Readiness & Regulatory Evidence
Preparing for regulatory inspections and supervisory reviews, requiring comprehensive documentation, control evidence, and continuous compliance reporting.
Solution
The financial services firm partnered with COE Security for end-to-end DORA readiness and compliance enablement. Our regulatory, cybersecurity, and operational resilience experts delivered a structured, phased approach aligned with DORA technical standards and supervisory expectations.
Phase 1: DORA Gap Analysis & Readiness Assessment
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Conducted a comprehensive ICT risk and resilience assessment aligned with DORA Articles and RTS/ITS requirements
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Mapped existing governance, security, and resilience controls against DORA obligations
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Identified regulatory, operational, and technical gaps
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Developed a prioritized DORA compliance roadmap with executive-level risk ownership
Phase 2: ICT Risk Management & Governance Framework
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Established and enhanced ICT risk management policies and procedures
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Defined roles, responsibilities, and accountability for digital operational resilience
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Implemented governance structures for ICT risk oversight at board and senior management levels
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Strengthened asset classification, critical function mapping, and dependency analysis
Phase 3: Operational Resilience, Incident Management & Testing
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Enhanced incident detection, classification, and reporting processes aligned with DORA timelines
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Implemented resilience and recovery procedures for critical ICT services
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Supported advanced testing programs, including scenario-based testing and operational resilience exercises
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Integrated cyber incident response, business continuity, and disaster recovery into a unified resilience framework
Phase 4: Third-Party & ICT Supplier Risk Management
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Assessed critical ICT third-party providers and outsourcing arrangements
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Strengthened vendor due diligence, risk assessments, and contractual controls
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Implemented ongoing third-party monitoring and concentration risk management
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Aligned supplier governance with DORA requirements for oversight and exit strategies
Phase 5: Regulatory Readiness & Supervisory Support
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Prepared regulatory documentation, evidence repositories, and compliance reporting
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Conducted internal readiness assessments and mock supervisory reviews
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Supported management during regulatory inquiries and inspections
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Ensured traceability between DORA requirements, controls, and evidence
Results
With COE Security’s expert guidance, the organization achieved a strong DORA-aligned digital operational resilience posture, delivering:
Enhanced Digital Operational Resilience
Improved ability to prevent, detect, respond to, and recover from ICT-related disruptions.
Regulatory Confidence & Supervisory Readiness
Demonstrated readiness for DORA supervisory reviews and regulatory examinations.
Improved ICT Risk Governance
Stronger board and executive oversight of ICT and cyber risk.
Stronger Third-Party Risk Controls
Reduced exposure to vendor, cloud, and outsourcing risks.
Operational Continuity & Business Protection
Improved resilience of critical business services and reduced impact of technology disruptions.
Client Testimonial
“Partnering with COE Security was pivotal in strengthening our digital operational resilience and preparing for DORA. Their regulatory expertise, structured methodology, and hands-on support enabled us to meet complex requirements with confidence and significantly improve our operational resilience posture.”
About COE Security
COE Security helps financial institutions, fintechs, and regulated entities achieve regulatory compliance and digital operational resilience across frameworks including DORA, ISO 27001, NIST, SOC 2, PCI DSS, GDPR, and global financial regulatory requirements.
Our services include:
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DORA Readiness & Compliance Programs
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ICT Risk Management & Governance
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Operational Resilience & Testing
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Incident Response & Regulatory Reporting
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Third-Party & ICT Supplier Risk Management
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Cybersecurity & Regulatory Advisory
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GRC & Continuous Compliance Enablement