Digital Operational Resilience Act Training (DORA)

Master the skills to lead digital resilience in financial entities and ensure compliance with DORA

What Is Digital Operational Resilience?

Digital operational resilience refers to the ability of a financial entity to build, assure, and review its operational integrity and reliability by ensuring, either directly or indirectly through the use of services provided by ICT third-party service providers, the full range of ICT-related capabilities needed to address the security of the network and information systems which a financial entity uses, and which support the continued provision of financial services and their quality, including throughout disruptions.

As the financial sector heavily relies on digital technologies, new cyber threats continue to emerge. In response, the European Union has developed the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) to enhance digital operational resilience in the financial sector. 

What Is DORA?

DORA, or the 'Digital Operational Resilience Act' is a regulation that requires entities in the financial sector to ensure they can withstand, respond to, and recover from all types of ICT-related incidents, risks, and threats.

It was enacted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on December 14, 2022, Regulation (EU) 2022/2554, and seeks to harmonise and streamline regulations related to ICT risk management, ensuring consistency and coherence across the EU.

DORA requires financial entities to adhere to the principle of proportionality, which considers their operations’ size, risk profile, and complexity.

DORA sets out the key requirements for financial entities in five main areas:

1. ICT risk management: Financial entities must establish and maintain an effective ICT risk management framework to effectively identify, classify, and reduce ICT risks.

1. Incident management: Financial entities must establish effective incident management and a harmonized framework for reporting major ICT-related incidents to regulatory bodies, facilitating a better understanding of emerging threats and enabling coordinated responses.

1. Digital operational resilience testing: Financial entities must conduct regular testing to assess their capacity to withstand ICT disruptions. This includes vulnerability assessments and penetration testing, with requirements tailored to the entity’s size and risk profile.

1. Third-party risk management: Recognizing the increasing reliance on third-party service providers, including cloud services, DORA sets out rules for managing ICT risks in the supply chain, ensuring that financial entities have oversight over the resilience of their critical third-party providers.

1. Information and intelligence sharing: DORA encourages financial entities to share cyber threat intelligence and other relevant information to enhance collective understanding and defense mechanisms against ICT threats.

Why Is DORA Important? 

As of January 17, 2025, financial entities will be required to ensure compliance with DORA requirements. Noncompliance with DORA can result in significant penalties, reflecting the seriousness with which the EU views digital operational resilience.

While the specific penalties can vary based on the nature and severity of the noncompliance, they are designed to be dissuasive and proportionate.

Organisations must adapt and update their digital operational resilience strategies to keep pace with evolving technologies and threats.

This ongoing process involves collaboration across all levels of the organisation, from executive leadership to operational staff, as well as with external partners and regulators.

How Do I Get Started?

The PECB Certified DORA Lead Manager training course fulfilled by MENA Executive Training, will help you gain the knowledge and advance the skills in establishing, implementing, and managing an ICT risk management framework based on DORA requirements.

MENA Executive Training is here to guide and assist you throughout the certification process to offer you a worthwhile experience.

Why Choose MENA Executive Training as Your DORA Training Provider?

MENA Executive Training stands out as the premier choice for DORA Lead Manager certification. As an accredited training partner of PECB and experts in cybersecurity, we are committed to delivering top-tier education in digital operational resilience. Our trainers are not only highly qualified but bring years of real-world experience in ICT risk management, ensuring you receive both theoretical and practical insights.

Our course is designed to be accessible and effective, with flexible learning options including in-person, live online, and self-paced formats. We recognise the diverse needs of our learners and offer bilingual training in English and Arabic, ensuring that language is never a barrier to mastering the complex requirements of DORA.

At MENA Executive Training, we go beyond just delivering content.

We provide comprehensive support throughout your certification journey, offering pre-exam preparation tools like practice tests, revision workshops, and detailed study guides.

After certification, our commitment continues with post-certification support, including ongoing access to resources and industry updates, empowering you to apply your new skills effectively in your organisation.

Choosing MENA Executive Training for your DORA training means partnering with a trusted leader in the field, equipping yourself with the knowledge and skills to excel in the evolving landscape of digital operational resilience.

Join us and take the next step in advancing your career and safeguarding your organisation’s future