Introduction

The Ultimate Champion’s Reference With The 53 Essential Policies, Checklists, LOGS & Expert's Secrets You Can’t Operate Without

To every practitioner working late nights to keep Europe’s financial system safe and resilient - your dedication rarely makes headlines, but it prevents the ones that would.

Copyright © 2026 Willy Danenberg

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This book is for general information purposes only. It does not constitute legal, regulatory, or professional advice. Readers should consult qualified professionals for specific guidance on compliance with Regulation (EU) 2022/2554 (DORA) and related Regulatory Technical Standards.

The author and publisher disclaim any liability for errors, omissions, or any loss or damage arising from reliance on the contents of this book.

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Why I Wrote This Book

I have spent decades helping financial institutions navigate complex technology risk and resilience programmes across Europe. When DORA was published in 2022, I saw immediately that it was different from previous regulations. It is not another box-ticking exercise. It is a fundamental re-engineering of how financial services must think about technology - treating digital disruption as a systemic risk on par with credit or market risk.

Too many organisations approached DORA with the same mindset they used for GDPR or MiFID: “Let’s find the minimum we can do and document it.” That approach will fail spectacularly under supervisory review. DORA demands evidence that resilience works - not just that policies exist.

I first wrote an introductory book, EU DORA Made Simple knowing that soon a much more detailed book was needed because I could not find a single resource that combined regulatory precision with practical implementation. Most materials were either high-level overviews for executives or fragmented technical guides. Practitioners needed one place where they could find complete, ready-to-use policy templates, evidence requirements, audit checklists, and board-ready reporting - all in plain language.

This manual is the book I wish had existed when I started my first DORA programme.

It is built from real experience: the policies that passed supervisory scrutiny, the evidence packages that satisfied inspectors in under 48 hours and convinced boards to fund resilience properly, and the painful lessons from incidents that could have been prevented.

My goal is simple: to help you move from anxious compliance to confident resilience - faster, cheaper, and with less stress.

Willy Danenberg December 2025