The financial sector is facing unprecedented regulatory pressure to strengthen its cyber resilience, driven by the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) and Network and Information Security Directive 2 (NIS2). These regulations require significant shifts in how financial institutions are required to address their security posture. However, despite the passing of the DORA compliance deadline, nearly half remain unprepared, exposing themselves not only to serious cyber-attacks but also to regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and even personal liability for executives. The good news is that financial institutions can turn this regulatory shift to their advantage by rethinking their approach to website security, and leveraging strategic technology choices to enhance resilience, streamline compliance, and ultimately strengthen customer trust. Let’s take a closer look at how they can do this.
A New Era of Financial Regulation
Traditional cybersecurity approaches in finance have overwhelmingly focused on perimeter defences—firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and network access controls. DORA and NIS2, however, demand comprehensive protection, risk management, and incident reporting across an organisation’s entire digital ecosystem, with particular emphasis on previously neglected information and communication technology (ICT) areas like websites, customer portals, and content platforms.
This regulatory shift confirms a new reality: sophisticated cyber-attackers have moved beyond conventional entry points to public-facing digital assets. They are now exploiting vulnerabilities in other areas such as content management systems (CMS) to gain footholds into more sensitive infrastructure leaving digital systems and customer touchpoints exposed.
Content Management Systems Are an Overlooked Risk Vector
While substantial resources protect core banking infrastructure, content management systems often receive minimal security scrutiny. A compromised CMS can expose sensitive customer information, triggering regulatory violations under both DORA and GDPR. Service outages as a result of security breaches can violate DORA’s strict reporting requirements while eroding client trust. Perhaps most concerning for executives, NIS2 also introduces personal liability for leadership that fails to implement adequate cybersecurity measures—escalating website security from an IT concern to a boardroom priority with personal career implications.
This vulnerability stems partly from organisational structure. IT security teams focus on protecting core systems, while marketing departments prioritise customer experience and content flexibility. The division between these two vital functions creates security gaps that DORA and NIS2 now make a regulatory requirement to address.
Strategic Platform Decisions: PaaS Versus SaaS
The architecture of a content management system carries significant compliance implications for financial institutions. SaaS solutions provide convenience and speed but frequently lack the granular control essential in regulated environments. Their multi-tenant architecture creates inherent challenges for data sovereignty and security boundary definition—both critical compliance elements under the new regulatory frameworks.
PaaS alternatives offer a more robust compliance foundation with enhanced control over security architecture, version control, and compliance monitoring. This approach allows financial institutions to implement precisely calibrated security measures that meet regulatory needs rather than accepting a standardised service that may leave regulatory gaps.
A Compliant CMS Strategy Leads to a Competitive Advantage
Effective website security in the DORA/NIS2 era requires several architectural elements. Cloud-native security features including automated vulnerability assessment and continuous threat monitoring address DORA’s requirement for ongoing security validation. Centralised compliance management ensures consistent security standards while reducing administrative complexity.
The de-coupling of content publishing from content authoring creates essential security layers, preventing attacks on the front-end reaching back-end systems. Comprehensive change tracking and approval workflows support both operational security and the detailed audit requirements these regulations impose.
Together, these capabilities enable financial institutions to demonstrate the “appropriate and proportionate technical, operational and organisational measures” DORA requires while “ensuring the security” NIS2 demands.
Beyond regulatory compliance, privacy-centric financial institutions realise broader strategic benefits. Robust website security enhances operational resilience—enabling faster recovery from incidents and maintaining service continuity in an environment where digital disruption directly impacts client relationships. These institutions also demonstrate their commitment to protecting client information across all touchpoints, enhancing consumer trust and favourability.
The DORA and NIS2 regulatory frameworks demand a fundamental reassessment of website security in the financial sector. Organisations must now expand their security efforts beyond traditional boundaries to encompass their entire digital footprint. This requires bridging historical divides between IT security and marketing teams to create unified approaches that deliver both secure and streamlined digital experiences. The financial institutions that proactively address these challenges will transform regulatory requirements from compliance burdens into drivers of operational resilience, client confidence, and business growth.