EU introduces NIS-2 and DORA rules to tighten digital security and financial resilience

The European Union has adopted two major regulatory frameworks: the Network and Information Security Directive 2 (NIS-2) and the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA). NIS-2 applies across a wide range of critical and important sectors—energy, transport, health, water, public administration, digital services and suppliers—raising security standards, mandating real‑time monitoring, and standardising incident reporting. DORA targets the financial sector, requiring banks, insurers, securities firms and their ICT service providers to implement continuous risk management, resilience testing and uniform reporting of cyber incidents.

Both sets of rules compel organisations to document risk assessments, define clear responsibilities, and keep audit‑ready records of security measures. The regulations affect not only large corporations but also medium‑size enterprises and specialised service providers such as cloud and payment‑processing firms, creating new compliance obligations throughout the EU.