Il-proċess għat-twettiq ta’ DORA jidher li miexi b’rimtu tajjeb – Alfred Sant

Waqt forum li sar fi Brussell dwar l-implimentazzjoni tal-Att dwar ir-Reżiljenza Operattiva Diġitali (DORA), l-eks Prim Ministru Alfred Sant qal li d-Direttiva ġabret flimkien salvagwardji obbligatorji u preskrittivi ġodda fis-Servizzi finanzjarji Ewropej. Dawn jinkludu n-negozji finanzjarji żgħar u medji, il-fornituri tal-pensjoni u l-fornituri ta’ servizzi terzi. B’riżultat ta’ din id-Direttiva, miżuri u proċeduri speċifiċi se jkollhom jiġu osservati fuq bażi kontinwa u soġġetti għal sorveljanza kontinwa mill-awtoritajiet nazzjonali u Ewropej.

“Sabiex ikun żgurat li jkun hemm sigurtà fuq mezzi diġitali, is-servizzi finanzjarji fl-Ewropa kellhom jagħmlu sagrifiċċji kemm fuq bażi nazzjonali kif ukoll meta jinnegozjaw ma’ pajjiżi oħra Ewropej u pajjiżi terzi li mhux membri tal-Unjoni Ewropea”. Madanakollu, DORA kompliet sal-aħħar il-proċess leġiżlattiv bla xkiel għax politikament ma kien hemm l-ebda problema bl-għanijiet u l-proposti tagħha, huwa sostna. Alfred Sant kien in-negozjatur tal-Att dwar ir-Reżiljenza Operattiva Diġitali għas-Soċjalisti u l-Grupp Demokratiku fil-Parlament Ewropew.

Organizzat minn Advantage Reply, kumpanija ewlenija  ta’ konsulenza fis-servizzi finanzjarji, il-forum iffoka fuq diversi suġġetti relatati mal-implimentazzjoni tas-sigurtà fuq mezzi diġitali li jaqgħu taħt DORA. Il-kelliema waqt il-forum kienu jinkludu lil Jurgita Skritaite, Senior Policy Officer fl-Aġenzija tal-Unjoni Ewropea għaċ-Ċibersigurtà; Mattias Levin, Viċi Kap tat-Taqsima fid-Direttorat Ġenerali tal-Kummissjoni għall-Affarijiet Finanzjarji; Gabriele Faggioli, Professur fl-Università ta’ Pavia; u Ian Haynes, Konsulent Anzjan ta’ Reply u Global CTO għal Cloud u DevOps fl-HSBC.

Alfred Sant spjega li DORA daħlet fis-seħħ f’Jannar 2023 iżda se tibda tapplika minn Jannar 2025. Huwa nnota li DORA bħala regolament tistabbilixxi rekwiżiti stretti għas-sigurtà tan-netwerks u s-sistemi tal-informazzjoni fis-settur finanzjarju. Hija tagħti mandat lill-entitajiet finanzjarji biex jipprevjenu u jtaffu t-theddid li jsir fuq mezzi diġitali billi jirkupraw minn tfixkil relatat mat-Tekonoloġija tal-Informazzjoni u l-Komunikazzjoni.

Huwa stqarr li minn perspettiva leġiżlattiva u istituzzjonali, il-proċess ta’ DORA jidher li miexi sew. Iqumu għadd ta’ mistoqsijiet dwar jekk DORA hix se tkun tajba biżżejjed għall-iskop li saret għalih. Kienet idea tajba li wieħed javviċina s-sigurtà ċibernetika għas-Servizzi finanzjarji b’mod speċifiku għas-settur? Bl-liema mod se jiġu affettwati n-negozji żgħar u medji fl-industrija tas-servizzi finanzjarji minħabba DORA? Se jkunu jistgħu jlaħħqu ma’ l-obbligi imposti fuqhom? Il-proċeduri disponibbli taħt DORA għall-monitoraġġ ta’ fornituri ta’ servizzi terzi se jkunu flessibbli biżżejjed u siewja fl-użu bejn pajjiż u ieħor u fl-Unjoni Ewropea? Alfred Sant wera sens ta’ ottimiżmu li meta tqis kollox DORA se timxi b’ritmu tajjeb iżda hi u qed titħaddem se jkollha bżonn li jsirilha titjib fuq bażi kontinwa.

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The DORA process appears to be well on track – Alfred Sant

During a forum held in Brussels about the implementation of the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), former Prime Minister Alfred Sant said that the Directive brought together new compulsory and prescriptive safeguards across European financial Services including smes, pension providers and third party service providers. As a result of this Directive, specific measures and procedures will have to be observed on an ongoing basis and subject to ongoing surveillance by national and European authorities. 

“Ensuring cybersecurity in financial services across Europe entailed sacrifices in national autonomy on the issue both within countries and in dealings with the rest of the EU and non-EU Member States”. Yet, DORA proceeded through the legislative process smoothly because politically there was no problem with its aims and proposals, he claimed. Alfred Sant was the negotiator on the Digital Operational Resilience Act for the Socialists and Democratic Group at the European Parliament.

Organized by Advantage Reply, a leading global consulting services partner, the forum focused on various topics related to the implementation of cyber security under DORA. The speakers during the forum included Jurgita Skritaite, Senior Policy Officer at the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity; Mattias Levin, Deputy Head of Unit at the Commission’s Directorate General for Financial Affairs; Gabriele Faggioli, Professor at the University of Pavia; and Ian Haynes, Senior Advisor at Reply and Global CTO for Cloud and DevOps at HSBC.

Alfred Sant explained that DORA came into force on January 2023 but will start to apply as of January 2025. He noted that DORA’s final text as a regulation sets stringent requirements for the security of network and information systems in the financial sector. It mandates financial entities to prevent and mitigate cyber threats by recovering from ICT-related disruptions. 

He stated that from a legislative and institutional perspective, the DORA process appears to be well on track. A number of questions arise whether DORA will be fit for purpose. Has it been a good idea to approach cyber security for financial Services in a sector specific mode? How will smes in the financial services industry be impacted by DORA? Will they be able to cope with the obligations thrust on them? Will the procedures available under DORA to monitor thrid party service providers be sufficiently flexible and use-worthy specially on a cross border, intra-EU basis? Alfred Sant sounded a note of optimism that when taking everything into consideration DORA will fly but will need continual upgrading.