ESMA: Cyber risk and digital resilience are (still) focus topics for 2026

By Renate Prinz | Dr. Cornelius Hille on 28. October, 2025

Posted In Dora, ESMA

ESMA, the European Securities and Markets Authority, emphasized that mitigation of cyber risks and assurance of digital resilience remain focus topics of supervisory efforts in 2026.

With the application of the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) in January 2025, ESMA had identified cyber and digital resilience as a Union Strategic Supervisory Priority (USSP) for 2025.
Now, ESMA re-emphasizes this USSP for 2026.
ESMA as well as National Competent Authorities shall intensify their already strong collaboration and supervision for ensuring that proper risk management regarding Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is applied equivalently at credit and financial institutions across the entire EU. According to ESMA, a coordinated oversight of DORA requirements is mandatory to realize secure and resilient financial markets in the EU.

This will characterize what market both participants subject to financial supervision as well as their providers of ICT services should (remain to) prepare for in 2026.

Please find ESMA’s full press release here.

Tags: Dora, ESMA

Renate Prinz

Renate Prinz focusses her practice on corporate law, national and international mergers, and acquisitions (M&A) and corporate reorganizations. She also advises at the interface with financial regulatory aspects, especially in connection with corporate transactions and/or licensing issues. Renate is experienced in advising national and foreign investment companies, credit, and financial services institutions on all aspects of German and European financial supervisory law. She furthermore has extensive experience in acting for clients in the industrial, retail, and public sectors. Furthermore, Renate publishes in corporate and financial supervisory law on a regular basis.

Dr. Cornelius Hille

Dr. Cornelius Hille advises national and international clients of the financial sector (e.g., credit institutions, investment firms and funds) on all aspects of German and European financial regulatory law. This covers inter alia licensing, structuring and general regulatory compliance regarding both established and innovative business models, including the digitalization of financial markets.

His advisory practice is particularly focused on the area of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and related compliance.

He regularly publishes on topics of financial regulatory law and AML in legal journals.

Prior to joining the firm, Cornelius worked for another major international law firm in the area of financial regulatory law.