DORA
EU regulation for digital operational resilience in financial sector
SQF
GFSI-benchmarked certification for food safety management
Quick Verdict
DORA mandates digital resilience for EU financial firms against ICT risks, while SQF is a voluntary certification ensuring food safety via HACCP and GMPs. Financial entities comply to avoid fines; food companies certify for market access and supply chain trust.
DORA
Regulation (EU) 2022/2554 Digital Operational Resilience Act
Key Features
- Mandates comprehensive ICT risk management frameworks for entities
- Requires initial incident reporting within 4 hours for major
- Enforces triennial threat-led penetration testing for critical entities
- Provides ESAs oversight of critical third-party ICT providers
- Applies proportionality based on entity size and risk exposure
SQF
Safe Quality Food (SQF) Food Safety Code
Key Features
- Modular architecture: Module 2 plus sector GMPs
- HACCP-based Food Safety Plan with validation
- Mandatory on-site SQF Practitioner role
- Annual audits with unannounced options
- GFSI benchmarking for global retailer acceptance
Detailed Analysis
A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.
DORA Details
What It Is
Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), formally Regulation (EU) 2022/2554, is an EU-wide regulation bolstering ICT resilience in finance against disruptions like cyberattacks. It targets 20 financial entity types and critical third-party providers (CTPPs), employing a risk-based, proportional approach harmonizing national rules.
Key Components
- **ICT Risk ManagementFrameworks for identification, mitigation, annual reviews.
- **Incident Reporting4-hour initial, 72-hour intermediate notifications for major incidents (>5% users or €100k loss).
- **Resilience TestingAnnual basic tests, triennial TLPT for critical functions.
- **Third-Party OversightDue diligence, monitoring, ESAs supervision via JETs. Built on proactive principles; enforced with fines up to 2% global turnover.
Why Organizations Use It
Ensures legal compliance ahead of 2025 deadline; mitigates systemic risks (74% firms hit by ransomware); enhances cyber defenses; fosters trust with regulators/stakeholders; streamlines cross-border operations amid rising threats like CrowdStrike outage.
Implementation Overview
Gap analysis against RTS/ITS; develop frameworks, testing plans, vendor contracts. Applies to ~22,000 EU entities; proportionality for SMEs. No formal certification but mandatory reporting/audits; large firms leverage EBA guidelines, others face 18-24 months prep with €10-15B EU-wide costs.
SQF Details
What It Is
Safe Quality Food (SQF) is a GFSI-benchmarked certification program administered by the SQF Institute. It provides a HACCP-based management system for ensuring food safety and quality across the supply chain, from farm to fork, via modular codes tailored to sectors like manufacturing and storage.
Key Components
- **Modular structureUniversal Module 2 (System Elements) plus sector-specific Good Practices (e.g., Module 11 GMPs).
- Over 100 auditable requirements covering management commitment, HACCP Food Safety Plan, PRPs, verification, traceability, and food defense.
- Built on Codex HACCP principles; includes SQF Practitioner role and graded audits (E, G, C, F).
Why Organizations Use It
- Meets retailer mandates for market access and reduces duplicate audits.
- Manages recall risks, enhances due diligence, and builds food safety culture.
- Provides GFSI recognition for global trade and regulatory alignment (e.g., FSMA).
Implementation Overview
- Phased approach: gap analysis, documentation, training, internal audits, certification audit.
- Applies to food manufacturers, distributors; scalable by size.
- Requires annual third-party audits by licensed bodies.
Key Differences
| Aspect | DORA | SQF |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Digital operational resilience in finance | Food safety and quality management |
| Industry | EU financial entities and ICT providers | Global food manufacturing and supply chain |
| Nature | Mandatory EU regulation | Voluntary GFSI-benchmarked certification |
| Testing | Annual basic, triennial TLPT | Annual audits, periodic unannounced |
| Penalties | Up to 2% global turnover fines | Loss of certification, no legal fines |
Scope
Industry
Nature
Testing
Penalties
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about DORA and SQF
DORA FAQ
SQF FAQ
You Might also be Interested in These Articles...
CIS Controls v8.1 IG1 Ransomware-Resilience Sprint: A 30-60-90 Day Action Plan (With Evidence Checklist)
Tactical CIS Controls v8.1 IG1 playbook for ransomware resilience. 30-60-90 day sprint with tool-agnostic tasks, ownership & evidence checklists to prove progre
CMMC Scoping Mastery for Defense Supply Chains: Enclave Mapping, Subcontractor Flow-Down, and CUI Inventory Blueprint
Master CMMC scoping for DIB: delineate FCI/CUI boundaries, segment enclaves, manage subcontractor flow-down. Prevent 80% assessment failures with SSP templates,
The Reasons Why NIS2 is Fundamental for Cyber Resilience in Europe
Uncover why NIS2 transcends compliance burdens, delivering real cyber resilience value through enforced measurements and activities. Explore insights via our pa
Run Maturity Assessments with GRADUM
Transform your compliance journey with our AI-powered assessment platform
Assess your organization's maturity across multiple standards and regulations including ISO 27001, DORA, NIS2, NIST, GDPR, and hundreds more. Get actionable insights and track your progress with collaborative, AI-powered evaluations.
Check out these other Gradum.io Standards Comparison Pages
ISO 37001 vs FISMA
ISO 37001 vs FISMA: Anti-bribery mastery meets federal cybersecurity. Compare standards, key differences, implementation, and benefits to choose the right compliance framework today.
PCI DSS vs TOGAF
Compare PCI DSS vs TOGAF: PCI DSS enforces payment data security with 12 strict controls, while TOGAF drives agile enterprise architecture. Uncover differences, benefits, and integration strategies for compliance success.
OSHA vs ISO 13485
Discover OSHA vs ISO 13485: Compare US workplace safety standards to medical device QMS. Master compliance gaps, reduce risks, ensure regulatory success. Expert insights await!