Ensuring EU DORA compliance for financial services with dbt Cloud

The European Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) is here, setting new standards for operational resilience in the financial sector. For data teams, this means your data platform must be equipped to meet stringent requirements for operational continuity, resiliency, and data integrity in line with DORA's stringent ICT risk management requirements.

What is the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA)?

The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) (EU Regulation 2022/2554) came into effect in January 2025. It establishes a unified regulatory framework for ICT risk management in the financial sector. Its goal is to enhance digital resilience by ensuring that financial institutions can withstand, respond to, and recover from cyber threats and IT disruptions. The regulation applies to financial entities including banks, building societies, investment firms, insurers, payment institutions, crypto-asset service providers, and ICT third-party service providers.

DORA introduces mandatory ICT risk management, requiring financial entities to implement robust security measures, conduct resilience testing, and report major cyber incidents. It also tightens oversight on critical ICT third-party service providers, such as cloud computing services, by subjecting them to direct EU supervision to mitigate systemic risks. Additionally, financial institutions are encouraged to share threat intelligence to strengthen the sector’s overall defense against cyber threats.

For financial institutions, DORA means greater regulatory scrutiny, increased compliance requirements, and higher costs related to cybersecurity investments. Organizations will need to reassess their ICT risk management frameworks, strengthen contracts with ICT third-party service providers, and improve internal monitoring and reporting capabilities.

While the regulation raises compliance burdens, it also standardizes cybersecurity practices across the EU, reducing fragmentation and improving financial stability in an increasingly digital economy. So how can dbt Cloud help with DORA?

Transparent data lineage

Simplifying audits and compliance

DORA demands a clear understanding of your data's journey. dbt Cloud's built-in table and column level lineage capabilities provide a comprehensive view of how data is transformed and used. This visibility simplifies audits and demonstrates compliance with data quality standards. You can proactively identify and address potential risks and ensure the integrity and reliability of your financial reporting.

Automated Testing

Ensuring data integrity and business continuity

Robust testing is crucial for DORA compliance. dbt Cloud's testing framework allows you to define and automate tests for your data models, ensure data quality, and prevent errors. This proactive approach minimizes downtime, reduces the risk of regulatory penalties, and builds confidence in your data.

Enhanced Collaboration

Strengthening data governance

Effective collaboration is essential for maintaining data governance under DORA. dbt Cloud provides a centralized platform for data teams to collaborate, share knowledge, and manage data projects. With features like version control and access control, dbt Cloud fosters accountability and transparency to simplify compliance with DORA's requirements.

dbt Labs is your DORA-ready partner

dbt Labs is committed to helping financial institutions achieve DORA compliance. Our services and contractual terms are aligned to applicable DORA regulations, as detailed in our DORA Disclosure documentation (available upon request for Enterprise plan customers and prospects). The Disclosure outlines the specific Articles of the DORA regulations that are applicable to ICT third-party service providers, and further clarifies which additional elements apply to Critical or Important functions, including key clauses related to audits, termination, transition services, and cooperation with authorities.

Ready for DORA?

Visit our security page and talk to a dbt expert now.​