DORA Compliance: How Vercara Ensures Financial Sector Resilience

The European Union’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) has emerged as a vital regulation for financial institutions across the EU, setting a new standard for managing digital and cybersecurity risks. Implemented to strengthen digital operational resilience in the financial sector, DORA ensures that institutions can withstand, respond to, and recover from a range of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) disruptions.  

While Vercara is not directly regulated under DORA—we are not an EU financial services organization—we excel at supporting our financial services customers in their DORA compliance efforts through our infrastructure and cybersecurity solutions concerning authoritative Domain Name System (DNS), Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) mitigation, Web Application Firewall (WAF), Protective DNS, and Application Programming Interface (API) discovery and protection. We also have a team that provides governance, regulation, and compliance (GRC) support to our customers to help them with third-party risk management and vendor due diligence concerning the security of our platforms and technology.  

This blog explores the key provisions of DORA, examines Vercara’s compliance with other relevant regulations, and highlights how our services empower organizations to meet DORA’s requirements.  

What Is DORA?  

The Digital Operational Resilience Act (Regulation (EU) 2022/2554), which became effective on January 17, 2025, establishes a unified framework for digital risk management across the EU financial sector. By focusing on enhancing the resilience of financial institutions and their ICT third-party vendors, the act aims to reduce systemic risk arising from digital failures and cyberattacks.  

Key Elements of DORA

ICT Risk Management

The implementation of comprehensive frameworks is crucial to identify, assess, and mitigate potential risks associated with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems. These frameworks ensure that organizations can proactively address vulnerabilities and strengthen their overall security posture.  

Incident Reporting

Organizations are required to submit mandatory reports of major ICT-related incidents to regulators within specified timeframes. This ensures transparency, promotes quick response actions, and helps regulators monitor and address systemic risks across the industry.  

Operational Resilience Testing

Regular stress tests are conducted to evaluate a firm’s ability to withstand and recover from disruptions in ICT systems. These tests simulate various scenarios, such as cyberattacks or technical failures, to ensure preparedness and continuity of essential operations.  

Third-Party Risk Management

Oversight of critical ICT service providers is achieved through stringent contractual obligations that detail service levels, security requirements, and response protocols. This ensures that third-party providers adhere to high standards, reducing risks associated with outsourcing key ICT functions.  

Information Sharing

Collaborative exchanges of threat intelligence play a vital role in enhancing cybersecurity. By sharing information on emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and incidents, stakeholders can collectively build stronger defenses and improve industry-wide resilience. 

By enforcing these measures, DORA enhances the financial system’s ability to handle digital disruptions, fostering a safer and more stable financial environment across the EU.  

Is Vercara DORA-Compliant?  

Vercara is not a European financial institution and, as such, is not directly regulated under DORA. However, we do have many EU financial services customers, and we provide support to them in several ways. Vercara upholds the highest levels of security and operational resilience by adhering to globally recognized standards. These include SSAE-16 (SOC 2 Type 2), a leading international audit standard for information security management; PCI-DSS, which ensures the secure handling of payment card data as well as other industry-specific regulations designed to safeguard data and systems. By aligning with these equivalent frameworks, we provide our customers with robust protection and compliance that meet or exceed the expectations set by DORA. 

Vercara’s Compliance Framework  

We maintain rigorous security standards and are certified and audited under internationally recognized frameworks, ensuring robust ICT risk management practices.  

These certifications focus on key areas like incident detection and response, data protection, and third-party risk management.  

Supporting Our Customers’ DORA Compliance  

Our solutions and features empower organizations to align with regulatory requirements, including DORA. By enhancing their governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) initiatives, we offer tangible ways to meet DORA’s stringent operational resilience and ICT risk standards.  

How Vercara Solutions Support DORA Compliance  

Vercara’s comprehensive cybersecurity services align closely with DORA’s key requirements. Below is a breakdown of how our solutions can assist organizations in meeting DORA’s core requirements.  

UltraDNS & UltraDNS2  

The resilience of DNS infrastructure is critical under DORA’s ICT risk management and operational continuity provisions, ensuring that organizations can maintain seamless operations even in the face of disruptions. As an industry leader, Vercara’s authoritative DNS services deliver unmatched stability and security, offering advanced solutions to safeguard against cyber threats and minimize downtime. With built-in redundancy, robust query performance, and cutting-edge protection, Vercara empowers businesses to meet regulatory requirements while maintaining reliable and secure digital operations. 

Key Features:  

• Multiple Points of Presence (PoPs): With geo-redundant routing across multiple global Points of Presence, ensure consistent uptime and exceptional fault tolerance. This design minimizes the risk of outages and safeguards critical financial operations, even during unexpected network disruptions.
• Streamlined DNSSEC Implementation: This feature simplifies the complex process of adopting DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC). It helps you seamlessly meet compliance requirements related to zone signing and data integrity, ensuring trust and security across your DNS infrastructure. For more details, take a look at our DNSSEC Implementation Guide.
• Private Data Lake for Logging: Securely aggregate, analyze, and retain DNS logs in a private data lake designed to meet stringent compliance standards. This enables detailed incident reporting, forensic analysis, and audit readiness, giving you full control and visibility over your DNS activity. For a deeper dive, take a look at Unlock the Potential of DNS Data with UltraDNS Private Data Lake.
• Secondary Network: UltraDNS2 provides an additional layer of redundancy with a fully separate network infrastructure. This includes independent network carriers and a dedicated network operations center, ensuring maximum reliability and operational continuity in the event of primary network issues. 

UltraDDoS Protect  

Under DORA, protecting against major ICT disruptions, including cyberattacks like Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), is crucial. Vercara’s UltraDDoS Protect solution mitigates DDoS attacks to ensure seamless operations.  

How It Helps:  

• Comprehensive DDoS Mitigation: Real-time detection and neutralization of network-layer and application-layer attacks. Check out DDoS Mitigation: the Ultimate Guide for more details.
• Flexible Deployment Options: UltraDDoS Protect supports multiple options for traffic diversion and clean traffic return to match your network, application, and data center capabilities.
• Dedicated Portal for Reporting: Our user-friendly portal provides actionable intelligence, aiding compliance with the incident reporting framework mandated by DORA.
• Access to our Cyber Threat Intelligence Team and Security Operations Center (SOC) for expert guidance in identifying and addressing vulnerabilities.  

UltraDDR  

Phishing and malware attacks are growing threats to financial institutions, targeting sensitive data and disrupting operations. Vercara’s UltraDDR (Domain Defense & Response) provides an advanced protective DNS solution designed to actively defend against these risks. By identifying and blocking malicious domains in real time, UltraDDR ensures enhanced security and reduces the likelihood of successful attacks. Additionally, it enforces acceptable use policies, helping organizations maintain operational security and compliance while safeguarding their critical assets. 

Key Advantages:  

• Proactive blocking of phishing and malware domains using advanced analytics to prevent threats before they can impact your systems. This ensures your organization stays ahead of emerging cyber risks.  
• Automated enforcement of security policies to restrict malicious or inappropriate use of internal systems, reducing the likelihood of insider threats or accidental misuse while maintaining compliance.  
• Comprehensive logging and advanced analytics to monitor, identify, and report cybersecurity incidents in real-time. This provides valuable insights and enables swift response to potential breaches or suspicious activity. 

UltraAPI  

APIs play a critical role in enabling seamless financial operations, especially in frameworks like Open Banking, where data sharing, integration, and portability are key. However, this increased reliance on APIs also makes them highly vulnerable to cyberattacks, posing significant risks to sensitive financial data and operations. UltraAPI addresses these challenges by leveraging cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies. These advanced tools enable organizations to monitor, secure, and manage API endpoints with precision, ensuring they meet stringent risk management standards. By providing real-time insights and proactive threat detection, UltraAPI empowers businesses to safeguard their APIs while maintaining operational efficiency and compliance. 

Capabilities Include:  

• Identify critical API endpoints and the sensitive data types they handle, such as personal information, credentials, or financial data, and thoroughly evaluate the security controls in place to ensure robust protection against vulnerabilities.  
• Implement systems for detecting and blocking bots and automated programs that frequently target APIs and websites, preventing unauthorized access and malicious activities. Check out Bot Detection: How to Identify and Block Bots to make sure you’re covered.
• Enforce comprehensive protection against API attacks, including those outlined in the OWASP API Top 10, such as broken authentication and authorization or excessive data exposure, to safeguard the integrity and security of your APIs. 

UltraWAF  

Complying with DORA is essential for protecting web applications from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. Vercara’s UltraWAF (Web Application Firewall) provides robust security by detecting and mitigating a wide range of attacks, including SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and other vulnerabilities. Designed to safeguard critical web applications, UltraWAF ensures businesses can operate securely and maintain compliance with evolving regulations.  

Features Overview:  

• Protection against application-layer DDoS attacks using advanced rate controls, anti-bot measures, and customized WAF (Web Application Firewall) rules to ensure your application remains available and resilient under high-traffic attack scenarios.  
• Comprehensive defense against a wide range of attack categories, including those outlined in the OWASP Web Application Top 10, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and security misconfigurations, ensuring robust protection for your applications.  
• Virtual Patching: Proactively address web application vulnerabilities with exploit signatures specifically aligned to Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) identifiers, providing timely protection even before application updates or patches are deployed. 

Prepare for DORA Compliance with Confidence  

While compliance with DORA can seem overwhelming, the right partner makes all the difference. Vercara’s purpose-built solutions equip financial institutions with the tools and expertise to meet regulatory requirements and strengthen their overall resilience.  

Beyond tools and services, Vercara offers expert insights into the evolving digital threat landscape. This includes leveraging our cybersecurity team and advanced threat intelligence capabilities to identify trends and implement proactive defense strategies.  

Our comprehensive solutions not only facilitate operational continuity but also enable financial institutions to meet and often exceed stringent regulations like DORA.  

Take the next step. Contact Vercara today to discuss your organization’s pathway to DORA compliance and discover how our industry-leading cybersecurity solutions can help you achieve your goals.