The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) is an EU regulation designed to ensure financial institutions, and their tech providers can withstand cyber threats, IT failures, and digital disruptions. It took effect on January 17, 2025, and impacts more than 22,000 businesses across the EU, including many tech-led SMBs.
If you’re a fintech startup, payment provider, Insurtech, investment firm, or a third-party IT vendor serving financial services, you need to comply with DORA’s risk management, cybersecurity, and resilience standards. Even if you’re not strictly regulated, your financial clients will demand compliance from their tech partners.
Who Does It Affect?
DORA directly applies to financial businesses like:
DORA also impacts third-party tech providers, including:
Why SMBs Should Embrace DORA
DORA isn’t just another compliance burden; it’s an opportunity to strengthen your business.
Example: A small investment firm used DORA’s proportionality principle to scale its resilience testing affordably. Simple vulnerability scans, disaster recovery drills, and incident simulations improved security, built investor confidence, and ensured full compliance.
How to Prepare for DORA (Best Practices for SMBs)
Final Takeaway
DORA isn’t just a regulation; it’s a competitive advantage. SMBs that proactively strengthen resilience will attract customers, avoid costly downtime, and future-proof their operations.
Embrace DORA as a blueprint for digital resilience. The businesses that invest in stability, security, and compliance today will be the ones thriving tomorrow.