DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) is an EU regulation (EU 2022/2554) in force since 17 January 2025. It requires financial institutions and their ICT service providers to systematically strengthen their digital operational resilience. The regulation is structured into nine chapters with 64 articles and is built around five core pillars: ICT risk management, incident management including reporting obligations, resilience testing (e.g. threat-led penetration testing), third-party risk management, and information sharing. This framework establishes a harmonized and unified legal basis across the EU, with clear requirements for prevention, response, and recovery from ICT-related disruptions.

The key benefits of DORA lie in its EU-wide harmonization, strong regulatory enforceability, and its focus on resilient operating models that go far beyond financial risk mitigation alone. Organizations can strengthen their IT security, reduce systemic risks, and build trust with customers and supervisory authorities. DORA applies in particular to banks, insurers, investment firms, payment service providers, crypto-asset service providers, as well as critical ICT providers serving the financial sector—especially those considered systemically important at national or EU level.

ISO 27001 is an internationally recognized standard for Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) that helps organizations systematically protect their data. The standard is based on a process-oriented approach and covers the planning, implementation, monitoring, and continuous improvement of security measures. At its core is risk assessment, from which targeted controls are derived and defined in Annex A of the standard. This creates a structured and auditable security framework that is recognized worldwide.

The benefits of ISO 27001 include international credibility, broad compliance coverage, and systematic risk reduction. Organizations can demonstrate that they effectively protect sensitive information and meet legal and regulatory requirements, thereby building trust with customers, partners, and supervisory authorities. The standard is suitable for a wide range of organizations—from mid-sized companies to large enterprises and operators of critical infrastructure that must meet the highest information security requirements, particularly in regulated sectors such as finance, healthcare, and industry.

CISIS12 is a practice-oriented standard for Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) developed specifically for small and medium-sized enterprises as well as public and municipal organizations. It is based on a clearly structured 12-step model that covers the establishment of an effective security framework—from initialization and protection needs assessment to incident and emergency management and continuous improvement. The methodology is clearly defined and enables rapid implementation without the complexity of large-scale standards such as ISO 27001.

The benefits of CISIS12 lie in its efficiency, scalability, and practical applicability. Organizations can achieve a high level of information security, meet legal and regulatory requirements, and build trust with customers and partners—at a level of effort appropriate to their size. CISIS12 is particularly suited for SMEs, municipalities, associations, and other institutions seeking to implement a structured security framework without unnecessary bureaucracy or excessive costs.