In 2025, Europe enters a new phase of technological regulation. The NIS2 Directive (Network and Information Security) and the DORA Regulation (Digital Operational Resilience Act) are not mere bureaucratic rules: they represent the European Union’s attempt to strengthen its digital sovereignty and ensure that companies —large or small— can withstand cyberattacks, disruptions, and third-party failures.
Both laws have key dates. NIS2 must be fully implemented by member states before October 2024, and DORA becomes mandatory in January 2025. In practice, this means that all companies operating in essential sectors or handling sensitive data must demonstrate resilience and traceability.
According to the European Commission, NIS2 expands its scope to more sectors than its predecessor, including energy, transport, healthcare, digital services, and cloud infrastructure providers. Meanwhile, DORA —driven by the European Parliament— applies common security rules to all financial entities, from banks and fintechs to software and cloud service providers working with them.
From Obligation to Real Impact
Both regulations share a core idea: digital risk is no longer just a technical issue, but a business one. And for entrepreneurs, this can be a burden —or an opportunity.
A report by ENISA (European Union Agency for Cybersecurity) estimates that over 60% of European SMEs still lack formal security policies. However, it also highlights that companies adopting cybersecurity standards —such as ISO 27001, ENS, or external audits— gain credibility with clients, investors, and international partners.
NIS2 requires companies to:
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Implement risk management and operational continuity policies.
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Report cybersecurity incidents within 24 hours.
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Establish clear accountability chains at the executive level.
And DORA mandates:
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Regular digital resilience testing.
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Monitoring and reporting of operational incidents.
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Oversight of critical third parties, such as cloud or financial software providers.
What was once a technical recommendation is now becoming a trust certification for businesses.
Opportunities for Startups and Tech SMEs
The regulatory shift is creating a new wave of demand for compliance, cybersecurity, and digital monitoring services. Tech consulting firms, IT auditors, and cyber-risk management startups are seeing growing contracts with both public and financial sectors.
For example, the Spanish company BeDisruptive has tripled its portfolio in the last year thanks to preventive audits for mid-sized banks adapting to DORA. SaaS compliance startups such as Cledara or Drata are also evolving their platforms to let companies record and prove compliance in real time.
According to the European Cybersecurity Market Report 2025, B2B cybersecurity spending in Europe will grow 14% annually through 2027, driven by NIS2 and DORA requirements. In other words, compliance is shifting from a cost to a competitive investment.
Not Just Legal—Cultural
One of the most significant aspects of NIS2 is that it moves responsibility to the executive level. It’s no longer enough to have an IT department handling risks: boards of directors must approve, oversee, and be accountable for digital security.
This represents a deep cultural shift. In a context where threats are multiplying —ransomware, data leaks, industrial espionage— cybersecurity stops being a technical issue and becomes a strategic business competency.
Technological ethics is becoming a competitive advantage. With NIS2 and DORA, that principle is now institutionalized: digital trust will be the new European quality seal.
Checklist for Entrepreneurs: 5 Essential Steps
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Map your critical assets. Identify the systems, data, or services sustaining your operation.
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Assess risks and third parties. Classify vulnerabilities and review contracts with external providers.
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Design a continuity plan. Prepare protocols for incident response, communication, recovery, and backup.
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Document everything. Audits rely on traceability—records, reports, and controls must be verifiable.
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Train your team. Most attacks stem from human error. Building a digital culture is the best defense.
As we noted in our analysis of business collaboration, the most resilient companies are those that share knowledge and protocols, not those that act in isolation.
Real Cases: From Risk to Value
In the financial sector, BBVA and Santander have created internal digital resilience programs integrating DORA’s requirements with attack simulations (red teaming) and executive training. Meanwhile, Acciona and Enagás —affected by NIS2— are auditing their entire supplier chain to prevent disruptions in essential services.
Among SMEs, Cybers3cure, a Valencia-based startup specializing in anti-phishing training, has quadrupled its clients in 2025 thanks to the training requirements set by NIS2.
These cases show that regulation can actually drive innovation, certification, and new business models.
From Compliance to Competitive Advantage
Complying with NIS2 and DORA shouldn’t be seen as a burden but as a process that strengthens a company’s digital maturity. Those acting early not only avoid fines —which can reach €10 million or 2% of global revenue— but also improve their reputation, gain access to public contracts, and attract investment.
As we discussed in our analysis of digital passive income models, the strongest companies are those that build systems that keep working even as the environment changes. With NIS2 and DORA, that stability becomes tangible competitive value.
