The advent of the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) has introduced a new set of regulatory expectations that financial entities operating in the European Union need to be aware of. Additionally, organizations such as SaaS startups that provide services to financial entities, or plan to, must begin preparing to meet DORA's requirements. 

In a recent webinar hosted by Rhymetec and Vanta, we unpacked DORA requirements and discussed practical steps organizations can take now to align with DORA. Endri Domi, Infosec Manager at Rhymetec, moderated an insightful discussion between Faisal Khan, GRC Solutions Specialist at Vanta, and Metin Kortak, CISO at Rhymetec.

This blog post highlights the key points from their discussion, with a focus on what organizations need to understand and prioritize in the months ahead. You can check out the full webinar here.

What Are DORA Requirements, and Who Must Comply?

DORA requirements come from the EU's Digital Operational Resilience Act, which is now in effect. The regulation applies to financial institutions operating in the EU, as well as certain types of service providers that support them. 

According to Faisal Khan, GRC Solutions Specialist at Vanta, the purpose of DORA is to improve the resiliency of financial institutions: 

"DORA is an EU regulation designed to improve the ability of financial institutions to weather and recover from any information or technology-related disruptions like cyber attacks, data breaches, and system failures. It's really to build that tolerance for themselves so that they're protected in the event some of those things would happen." - Faisal Khan, Vanta

DORA covers both financial entities, such as banks, insurance companies, and investment firms, as well as their ICT third-party service providers. ICT (Information and Communication Technology) third-party service providers include cloud providers and other vendors that manage or support technology for other organizations.

The regulation introduces two types of regulatory documents that support its implementation: 

Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) and Implementing Technical Standards (ITS). RTS specifies what organizations must actually do to meet DORA's requirements, while ITS focuses on how the information should be reported. How each of the 5 pillars of DORA is applied in practice, as shown in the next section, is shaped by the technical standards. 

What Are The Five Pillars of DORA Requirements?

DORA requirements are structured around five pillars. Each pillar is designed to reduce ICT-related disruption risk in financial services and strengthen the resilience of the ecosystem. In our webinar, our experts honed in on explaining each pillar in detail, particularly those involving third-party risk and incident reporting: 

1. ICT Risk Management

Mitigating ICT-related risks across your organization's digital environment is a core part of DORA. Typically, this entails starting with a live, centralized asset inventory and linking each asset to a business function. This enables you to then align risk prioritization with actual operational impact, and helps keep future reporting manageable.  

2. ICT-Related Incident Reporting 

As highlighted by our experts, ICT-related incident reporting includes notifying both national competent authorities and any stakeholders who may be affected, such as customers or partners who rely on your platform:

"If you do have ICT-related incidents, those incidents will need to be communicated to the national authorities and other stakeholders who may be impacted by your platform, such as your customers." - Metin Kortak, Rhymetec

If an incident meets the criteria for "major ICT-related incident", you must notify your national competent authority (typically, your financial services or cybersecurity regulator) within 24 hours of detection. Follow-up reports are required as the situation evolves. 

Incidents are classified based on metrics such as the number of users affected, duration of the disruption, and impact on data integrity or confidentiality. Your report should explain in detail what your response is and provide guidance for the recipient. The final report submitted to regulators must include a root cause analysis, detailing what happened and why it happened. 

Bonus Tip: DORA goes further than GDPR by imposing stricter timelines, requiring a reporting process with multiple updates, and mandating the notification of any major ICT–related incidents (not just those involving personal data). In general, it covers a broader range of disruptions that impact operational continuity. 

3. Digital Operational Resilience Testing

Under DORA requirements, operational resilience testing is addressed in Articles 24-27. Organizations must be able to demonstrate that their critical ICT systems can withstand disruption. Testing must be continuous and evidence-based: 

"The point of this requirement is to ensure you have testing to verify that the resiliency of your application can be proved. This can be either third-party testing, or it can be internal testing." - Metin Kortak, Rhymetec 

This includes a mix of internal exercises (such as tabletop exercises) and, where applicable, advanced testing techniques like threat-led penetration testing (TLPT). The intent is to ensure that your organization is able to 1) recover from disruption and 2) continue delivering critical services under adverse conditions.  

For most organizations, the following action items are good options to fulfill the requirements in this pillar:

Tabletop Exercises

Tabletop exercises are scenario-based discussions that mirror real-world scenarios. Undergoing a tabletop exercise allows your organization to test its response capabilities, validate roles and responsibilities, and improve communication without affecting live systems. 

Technical Testing

For systems deemed critical, DORA encourages more rigorous validation, which can take the form of failover testing, load testing, and red team exercises. Third-party involvement is encouraged at this stage, particularly for high-risk or business-critical functions. 

Testing must occur on a regular basis and must reflect the scale and risk profile of your organization. DORA does not prescribe a one-size-fits-all cadence, but regulators will expect to see a documented rationale for test frequency and scope. 

Remediation and Continuous Improvement

Testing is only the first part of the requirement. DORA also expects organizations to conduct lessons learned from testing, remediate weaknesses accordingly, and feed results back into their risk management and ICT governance processes.

The overarching goal of this requirement is to encourage a shift from static, checklist-driven compliance to real-world resilience. Instead of simply having a plan, organizations have to prove it works. 

Bonus Tip: Don't forget about your critical third parties! We'll get into that more in the next pillar, but it's also relevant here. In areas where external service providers support your organization's critical functions, you'll need to evaluate their resilience as well. To do this, you can obtain assurance reports, risk assessments, validate their compliance with DORA if applicable, and/or coordinate joint exercises.

4. ICT Third-Party Risk

"If you do not understand your subprocessors, that's probably the first thing you want to do. If you have to comply with GDPR, you probably already understand the subprocessors that you're working with. For DORA, the next step would be to really understand how much data they process and how critical they are to your organization." - Metin Kortak, Rhymetec

One of the foundational steps in meeting DORA requirements is gaining full visibility into your third-party relationships. While organizations that already comply with GDPR are required to maintain records of data subprocessors, DORA introduces an operational resilience component that extends beyond data protection. Under DORA, your organization has to consider not only who you're working with, but how much risk those relationships introduce into your business. 

Subprocessors often include cloud providers, SaaS tools, and outsourced IT or security vendors. DORA requires that financial entities mandate ICT third-party service providers that service those entities to map out these relationships and assess their criticality. Article 28 of DORA explicitly mandates risk assessments of ICT third-party service providers, with an emphasis on concentration risk. 

"DORA also impacts the other third-party vendors and subprocessors that you are working with, because those vendors ultimately impact also the availability of your platform. For example, if you are hosted by a third-party hosting provider, they also impact the availability of your application. Therefore, you also need to conduct a risk assessment to ensure that the provider can actually support the resiliency of your application." - Metin Kortak, Rhymetec

If you are a financial entity subject to DORA requirements, you must maintain a register of all contractual agreements with ICT third-party providers and identify those considered "critical or important". This represents a broader industry shift from reactive vendor management to proactive operational resilience planning. Organizations that enact these changes will not only be positioned to comply with DORA, but also to build a more resilient overall business. 

Other important considerations for the ICT-Third Party Risk Pillar include:

The Volume of Data Processed

How much sensitive or operational data flows through the vendor's systems? The more data processed, the higher the impact of a service disruption or breach.

Criticality to Business Operations

If a subprocessor experiences downtime, how does that affect your ability to deliver services, meet SLAs, and maintain operational continuity?

Dependency Risk

Are there alternative providers or workarounds if a subprocessor fails? If not, that relationship may require additional safeguards in your contract or contingency planning.

Oversight and Exit Strategy

Ongoing monitoring and having the ability to disengage from a vendor if needed (without causing your organization to risk operational issues!) are essential under DORA.

5. Information Sharing 

DORA encourages financial entities to participate in trusted information-sharing arrangements around cyber threat intelligence. While not mandatory, participation supports sector-wide resilience. 

Bonus Tip: Join regional or sector-specific ISACs (Information Sharing and Analysis Centers) early. This gives your team early visibility into threats targeting similar organizations, often before they've hit public feeds or the news.

What Are Some Considerations When Becoming DORA Compliant, According to The Experts?

As you are working to achieve compliance with DORA requirements, here are several practical considerations to keep in mind, according to our experts at Rhymetec and Vanta: 

Trade Reporting Integrity

If your organization is subject to transaction reporting requirements (such as under EMIR or MiFIR), DORA reinforces the need for accuracy and completeness of those reports. Insufficient reporting could raise compliance concerns.

Lack of An Official DORA Certification

This is a common misconception. 

Unlike some regulatory frameworks, DORA does not offer a formal certification or audit program. Instead of a formal certification, organizations are expected to demonstrate compliance with DORA requirements through internal audits or third-party assessments. 

However, it's important to note that regulators still have the authority to request evidence and conduct inspections, so being "audit-ready" is still critical. 

Framework Synergies

DORA is good at outlining what must be done, but often leaves the how to up to each organization and lacks specific implementation guidance. This opens the door to leverage existing security and compliance frameworks, such as ISO/IEC 27001 and 27002, SOC 2, or NIST, to guide implementation. 

For example, DORA requires regular risk assessments but doesn't prescribe a methodology. Therefore, ISO 27005 or NIST SP 800-30 can provide details on how to actually carry out risk assessments. Aligning DORA controls with these frameworks, if you already have them, helps avoid duplicating your efforts. 

In Conclusion: How Organizations Leverage vCISO Services To Meet DORA Requirements

A virtual CISO (vCISO) can play a critical role in preparing your organization to meet DORA requirements. vCISOs provide technical guidance and control implementation, operational support, and oversight without the cost of a full-time executive hire.

For startups, a vCISO can help build foundational controls, align existing security processes to DORA's requirements, and lead efforts like risk assessments, incident response planning, and third-party due diligence. For more mature organizations, a vCISO can support internal audit functions, map DORA requirements to existing frameworks (such as ISO 27001 or SOC 2), and create alignment between IT, legal, and compliance teams. 

Regardless of organization size, a vCISO helps translate complex regulatory language into actionable plans that will hold up under regulatory scrutiny. vCISO services provide access at scale to top-tier cybersecurity and compliance services. vCISOs can also leverage the most cutting-edge tools, such as compliance automation platforms, to get you compliant in the fastest timeframe possible.  

About Rhymetec

Our mission is to make cutting-edge cybersecurity available to SaaS companies and startups. We've worked with hundreds of companies to provide practical security solutions tailored to their needs, enabling them to be secure and compliant while balancing security with budget. We enable our clients to outsource the complexity of security and focus on what really matters – their business. Contact us today to get started.

Interested in reading more? Check out more content on our blog.

• DORA Compliance Checklist: What The EU's Digital Operational Resilience Act Means For Your Business
• Meeting EU AI Act Compliance: Core Requirements and Business Benefits
• Penetration Testing FAQ: What You Need To Know | Rhymetec

Working with a CMMC consultant is an attractive option for many organizations seeking to meet the updated CMMC requirements nowadays.

The Department of Defense (DoD) released CMMC 2.0 on October 15th, 2024, a requirement for defense contractors and subcontractors with the goal of improving cybersecurity standards. The updated version refines the original framework, aiming to simplify the path to compliance while maintaining the highest security standards for organizations that handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and other sensitive contract data. 

One way in which the updated version simplifies compliance is by aligning requirements even more closely with existing cybersecurity standards like NIST SP 800—171. Many organizations may already comply with NIST 800-171 or another framework very closely aligned with it. Either way, the shift in compliance expectations has led many organizations to assess whether they have the in-house resources to manage security or if they need external support through a CMMC consultant.

Working with a Managed Security Services Provider that offers CMMC consulting services (like Rhymetec!) can help contractors meet CMMC 2.0 requirements efficiently. MSSPs take the work off your plate and help you meet your goals in the fastest time frame possible. We've helped over 1,000 organizations meet their compliance and security requirements in the fastest time frame possible.

In this article, we go over how CMMC 2.0 works, the options available for achieving compliance, and the potential advantages of working with a CMMC consultant.

What Is A CMMC Consultant, and What Do They Do?

Unless you have a fully built-out in-house cybersecurity and compliance team, CMMC can be a massive project to take on internally—taking a year or longer to meet requirements. This is where a CMMC consultant comes in.

A CMMC consultant is a cybersecurity and compliance expert who helps defense contractors meet the requirements of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2.0. Consultants do everything from conducting a gap assessment to see where you are versus where you need to be, developing practical strategies to achieve compliance that will fit seamlessly (and as non-disruptively as possible!) into your operations, and guiding you through the certification process in partnership with an external auditor.  

For many businesses, especially small and mid-sized contractors, understanding and implementing CMMC controls can be challenging. A CMMC consultant provides tailored, specialized knowledge to streamline the entire process, reduce your risk of non-compliance, and make big improvements to your overall security if you do not already have certain measures in place.

Do You Need A CMMC Consultant?

The best way to determine if you need a CMMC consultant is to look through the responsibilities and deliverables in the next section and assess whether or not you have the in-house capacity to fulfill all of these items. 

If you are a larger organization and already have a security team with personnel that can accomplish the necessary tasks for CMMC (A Chief Information Security Officer, Penetration Tester, Cloud Security Specialist, Vulnerability Management Analyst, etc.), you can probably do most of this on your own or with guidance from a CMMC consultant rather than full support. 

However, for smaller organizations or those without a fully developed in-house security program, engaging a CMMC consultant entails multiple benefits. 

According to A-LIGN’s 2025 Compliance Benchmark Report, 57% of government-affiliated organizations reported conducting audits specifically to meet contract requirements, up from 40% in 2024. DoD contractors and subcontractors will need to obtain certification under one of three trust levels to demonstrate that they have adequately implemented cybersecurity measures.  

Below are some questions to help you assess whether working with a consultant is the right choice. After you answer these questions and review the responsibilities and deliverables listed below in the next section, you should have a clear picture of whether or not you need a CMMC consultant:

1. Which CMMC Level Do You Need To Achieve?

The CMMC level you need depends on the type of contracts you handle:

CMMC Level 1 (Basic Cyber Hygiene) is required for contractors who only handle Federal Contract Information (FCI). Compliance is self-assessed, but security controls must still be implemented.

CMMC Level 2 (Advanced Cyber Hygiene) is required for contractors who handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). Compliance requires a third-party assessment (C3PAO) every year.

CMMC Level 3 (Expert) is required for contractors who are working on high-security DoD projects. Compliance entails DoD-led audits and adherence to NIST SP 800-171 and portions of NIST SP 800-172.

If you need CMMC Level 2 or Level 3, working with a CMMC consultant can be extremely helpful, given the amount of work involved in the third-party assessment process, implementing missing security controls, and maintaining ongoing compliance. 

2. Do You Have An Internal Cybersecurity Team With Compliance Expertise?

If you have a dedicated cybersecurity and compliance team, you may be able to handle CMMC requirements internally. Even if you do have an internal team, however, a CMMC consultant can still be beneficial if:

• Your internal team is unfamiliar with NIST 800-171 and CMMC requirements.
• You need help preparing evidence for a third-party assessment.
• Your security team does not specialize in compliance or lacks the expertise to develop CMMC procedures and policies.

3. Have You Implemented a NIST 800-171 Self-Assessment?

If you need CMMC Level 2 or Level 3, you should already have a NIST 800-171 self-assessment and an SPRS score recorded. If you haven't completed this step, a CMMC consultant can guide you through the process. Additionally, if your SPRS score is low, or if you have many missing security controls, you may need a consultant to develop a remediation strategy before moving forward. 

4. Do You Need Help Implementing Technical Security Controls?

There are a range of technical security controls required by CMMC that many organizations may not have adopted yet. If your company lacks the bandwidth to deploy these measures, a CMMC consultant can provide guidance and support (or do it for you, depending on the level of support outlined in the engagement). These types of technical controls include configuring multi-factor authentication, implementing network segmentation, SIEM logging and monitoring, and vulnerability management. 

5. Are You Prepared For A Third-Party or DoD Audit?

For Levels 2 and 3, organizations have to pass an official assessment conducted by a Certified Third-Party Assessor Organization (C3PAO) or the DoD. The most common issues contractors face with these assessments are due to insufficient documentation, improperly implemented controls, or lack of audit preparation. A CMMC consultant can remediate these issues and more in advance of your assessment. 

6. Do You Need Ongoing Compliance Support?

Lastly, it's important to know that CMMC compliance requires ongoing monitoring and maintenance. You'll need to keep your certification in good standing year-round. If your organization does not have a dedicated team to handle continuous compliance, a CMMC consultant can provide long-term security and compliance management. Ongoing support can include:

• Review of your security controls
• Vulnerability scanning (and remediation as needed)
• Incident response drills 
• Log reviews and SIEM tuning.

If the answer is "yes" to multiple questions, partnering with a CMMC consultant may be a good option for your organization. 

Next, let's go over what a CMMC consultant typically accomplishes for organizations throughout the engagement. This should help give you a good idea of what to expect:

Timelines And Deliverables From A CMMC Consultanting Engagement  

A CMMC consultant provides end-to-end support to help defense contractors achieve CMMC compliance. At a high level, this process entails assessing your organization's current security posture, implementing the required controls you don't already have, developing documentation, training personnel, and preparing for the official assessment. 

Here is what this process and the deliverables will look like, in general, for an organization starting from a more basic security posture:

1. CMMC Initial Assessment - Documentation and Gap Assessment: 

• Conduct a gap assessment to assess your current CMMC maturity level.
• Review existing security documentation to determine alignment with CMMC 2.0. requirements and identify any gaps in your documentation to be addressed before certification.
• Review CUI/FCI data flows to assess how sensitive information is handled.
• Map current security controls to NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC requirements.
• Document your organization's Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS) score. 
• Develop a preliminary Plan of Action & Milestones (POA&M) to address deficiencies.
• Estimate resource requirements for remediation.

Timeline With A CMMC Consultant: 1-2 Months 

2. Implementation of Access Control and System Security

• Configure multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all required systems.
• Implement least privilege access principles to restrict user permissions.
• Set up remote access controls and document access control procedures.
• Deploy a Privileged Access Management (PAM) solution for sensitive accounts.
• Implement network segmentation and develop network diagrams.
• Deploy endpoint protection solutions.
• Configure logging and monitoring systems, including SIEM solutions.
• Set up backup solutions and document backup and recovery procedures.

Timeline With A CMMC Consultant: 1-3 Months 

3. Documentation and Policy Development

• Develop a System Security Plan (SSP) documenting security controls.
• Create an Incident Response Plan for handling security incidents.
• Establish a Disaster Recovery Plan.
• Create training documentation for security awareness and compliance.

Timeline With A CMMC Consultant: 1-2 Months 

4. Training

• Conduct security awareness training for employees.
• Develop role-specific training for personnel handling CUI/FCI.
• Run incident response drills to prepare teams for cyber threats.
• Train employees on documentation procedures.
• Hold policy review sessions.

Timeline With A CMMC Consultant:  1 Month 

5. Testing and Control Validation

• Perform internal control testing to verify compliance.
• Conduct vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to evaluate system defenses.
• Review security documentation for accuracy/completion.
• Validate processes and security controls through real-world testing.

Timeline With A CMMC Consultant: 1-2 Months 

6. C3PAO Assessment

• Conduct a final documentation review to make sure all requirements have been met.
• Validate security controls against CMMC 2.0 standards.
• Prepare teams for staff interviews conducted during the official assessment.
• Perform technical testing to confirm systems meet all requirements.

Timeline With A CMMC Consultant: 1 Month 

Ongoing Maintenance

To maintain compliance and readiness for recertification, a CMMC consultant provides ongoing support through the following:

• Monthly security control reviews to assess compliance status on an ongoing basis.
• Vulnerability scanning to identify and remediate emerging threats.
• Access reviews to ensure permissions remain properly restricted.
• Incident response testing to evaluate security team preparedness.
• Log review to monitor system activity and detect anomalies. 

Why Work With A CMMC Consultant?

Achieving compliance is not simple. There is an array of technical and procedural controls and extensive required documentation. A CMMC consultant helps businesses navigate these requirements by providing specialized expertise (at a much lower price point than building out an in-house team would cost) and reducing administrative burdens. 

Many defense contractors lack the in-house resources to manage requirements, especially as the DoD increases enforcement of cybersecurity standards. Often, for example, small defense contractors with no formal cybersecurity programs need to achieve CMMC Level 1 to continue bidding on DoD contracts. Having limited IT staff and a lack of security policies and policies can be a significant roadblock.

In this scenario, a CMMC consultant would help by starting with an initial assessment to determine the company's current security posture and documentation and, from there, develop all missing policies, procedures, and documents. Often, this includes a System Security Plan (SSP), access control policies, and an incident response plan. 

Many contractors also underestimate the complexity of CMMC and wait too long to start the process. The risk of failing an assessment can lead to contract loss and reputational damage. Working with a CMMC consultant reduces risk, streamlines implementation, strengthens your cybersecurity, and ensures you stay audit-ready year-round.

If your business relies on DoD contracts, CMMC certification isn't optional. Engaging a CMMC consultant early on in the process saves significant time and headaches down the road. 

About Rhymetec

Our mission is to make cutting-edge cybersecurity available to SaaS companies and startups. We’ve worked with hundreds of companies to provide practical security solutions tailored to their needs, enabling them to be secure and compliant while balancing security with budget. We enable our clients to outsource the complexity of security and focus on what really matters – their business. Contact us today to get started.

Interested in reading more? Check out more content on our blog.

Meet Matt!

I'm an analyst based in GA who graduated from Kennesaw State University with my Bachelor's in Cybersecurity in May of 2023. I also dabble in some other technical work too! I consider myself a handyman as I can work with a lot of various tools and know that I have the capacity to do more in the future.

Outside of technical work, I like to make digital art and do landscaping. I took a lot after my grandpa, who was a multi-talented man and who knew how to get stuff done!

Tell us a surprising fact about yourself…

I'm not quite ambidextrous, but I've taught myself how to do a lot of things with my left hand! All things outside of writing, that is. Maybe I'll get there someday!

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Teleportation. We lose a lot of time due to travel and being in-between places… It'd be a convenient power, however, I'd probably become super out of shape and chunky because I'd get lazy and never move anywhere normally as a result…

What are some things you enjoy doing outside of work?

I jog in the mornings and like to go on a trail during the weekends. I also like to tinker with electronics and fiddle with gadgets whenever I have the opportunity to do so!

Tell us about your role at Rhymetec…

It's currently my one-year anniversary at Rhymetec! My role is to help aid my project manager in his work by better understanding our clientele's environments and programs so I can assist with inquiries and even offer suggestions or analysis on how they can better improve their security standing.

I really like working here because it's exposing me to a wide variety of tools and environments that I probably wouldn't have encountered so soon. The experience that I'm receiving here will be invaluable for the rest of my career! I can also kind of brag to my buddies that I can conduct ISO/IEC audits too.

Why did you pursue a career in the cybersecurity industry?

I originally majored in Engineering before finding that a lot of the theory wasn't sticking to me. I'm more of a hands-on person who works better with several manuals in front of me and enough time to make things happen. I was pursuing interests in IT/CS after the fact before finding that Cybersecurity had the right level of "hands-on” that interested me.

As to how I ended up with Cybersecurity, funnily enough, there was a representative who came into one of my lectures while I was in university who tipped me off to considering a degree change with Cyber!

What is your favorite part about working at Rhymetec, or in the cybersecurity industry?

Lots to learn everywhere. Cybersecurity is as much of a theory as it is a concept. It concerns itself with information technology and similarly connected devices. In the end, it's risk management, contingency planning, and fortifying defenses! It's an ever-evolving race towards what guards our assets in the best possible way, with more creative and unique ways continuing to be found for people to defend (or even attack) with!

What is the best advice you have ever received?

I read this from an art book and have it pinned on my wall since it applies to many areas outside of art:

"TALENT: Don't bother about whether or not you have it. Just assume that you do, and then forget about it. Talent is a word we use after someone has become accomplished. There is no way to detect it before the fact, or when someone is still grappling with the learning process. It is impossible to predict when or if mastery will click into place. Besides, the thing we label as talent is not a single ability. It is a complex mixture of motive, curiosity, receptivity, intelligence, sensitivity, good teaching, perseverance, timing, sheer luck, and countless other things. If any part of it is genetic, God-given, the result of astrological fiddle-faddle, fate, or destiny, that part is not the sole determining factor. All the other ingredients must be present in the right combination–and no one knows the exact recipe. Therefore Dear Reader, don't waste time worrying if you are talented—and don't blame any failures on the lack of it–that is really a cop-out."

- Richard Schmid, "Alla Prima II – Everything I Know About Painting - and More"

From a security or compliance perspective, what advice would you give to a potential client or SaaS business?

This one's a tough one, as I'm still relatively fresh out of university! I feel like more of a senior role or more experienced member could give better insight here… that, or I'd be parroting them, which isn't a bad thing! I think the best advice I could give is:

"Which would you prefer: the pain of diligence or the pain of regret?"

This could apply to a lot with regards to ensuring that appropriate preventive measures are in-place against threats and threat actors.

Connect with Matt Jenkins

Leading cloud security company celebrates 10 years of success attributing sustainable growth to its highly skilled team, strategic partnerships and expanding globally. 

(NEW YORK — March 28, 2025) –

Rhymetec, the industry leader in cloud security that provides innovative cybersecurity, compliance and data privacy services to modern-day SaaS businesses, today announces multiple significant accomplishments in honor of its 10-year anniversary. These include continued company growth, both in the U.S. and internationally, service expansion, and strengthened strategic partnerships.

"I could not be more proud of the accomplishments of our team at Rhymetec. For the past 10 years, we have continued to evolve to meet our client's needs, while navigating constant changes in the industry," said Justin Rende, founder and chief executive officer of Rhymetec. "We've built a network of trusted partners to better serve our customers and looking to the future, we remain committed to the same mission we started with — to deliver sustainable compliance strategies with the highest security standards."

Since its founding in 2015, Rhymetec has experienced notable milestones and accomplishments, including:

Company Growth:

• Rhymetec has more than 35 full-time employees today. Rhymetec is proud to state that they do not outsource their services.
• Has served more than 1,000 clients spanning companies of all sizes from startups to enterprises
• Helped clients manage more than 1,200 Audits
• Completed more than 900 Penetration Tests

New Frameworks and Compliance Offerings for 2025:

These offerings are alongside Rhymetec's Virtual CISO (vCISO) service:

• CMMC
• DORA
• NIS-2
• EU AI Act
• Data Privacy Framework

Rhymetec's strategic partnerships and active participation in key industry events have been essential to the company's success and growth. Over the years, collaborations with industry leaders like Vanta, Drata, A-LIGN, and others have not only solidified Rhymetec's role as a trusted partner but also fueled momentum for shared growth. Joining together on events such as Vanta's company kick-off and Drata and A-LIGN's sales kick-off serve as opportunities to strengthen relationships, exchange insights, and drive collective innovation in the cybersecurity and compliance space.

These partnerships, along with sponsorships at major conferences in Q1 like ViVE, reinforce Rhymetec's commitment to elevating industry standards, supporting clients through their growth phases, and driving forward the shared mission of delivering top-tier security and compliance solutions.

Further notable in Rhymetec's success is in its strategic approach to employee development. The company recently announced the promotion of Endri Domi, one of Rhymetec's first employees, from security program manager to information security manager. In his new role, Domi will help lead Rhymetec's team of highly skilled security professionals.

"I am grateful for the trust and support from my colleagues and leadership at Rhymetec," Domi said. "I am excited to tackle new challenges and continue delivering excellence in information security for our clients."

To learn more about Rhymetec and its suite of cybersecurity services, visit www.rhymetec.com.

About Rhymetec
Rhymetec is an industry leader in cloud security, providing innovative cybersecurity and data privacy services to the modern-day SaaS business. The company builds, deploys and manages compliant information security and data privacy programs directly within their customers' unique environments, allowing them to focus on their core competencies within their business. Over the years, Rhymetec's services have grown to include a vCISO (virtual CISO) program, ISO internal audits and a variety of penetration testing services. For more information, visit www.rhymetec.com and follow on Twitter or LinkedIn.

You can read the original press release on PR Newswire.

To Learn More About Rhymetec's Services

As an industry leader in cybersecurity and compliance, Rhymetec is proud to partner with Vanta to deliver a complete solution for modern businesses. As Vanta's 1st MSP partner, together, we fast-track compliance, strengthen your security posture, and reduce the time and effort needed to meet regulatory requirements. 

 The Rhymetec + Vanta Advantage

Our team at Rhymetec leverages Vanta to transform compliance from a complex challenge into a strategic advantage for your business. Over the last decade, we've helped over 1,000 companies around the world meet their security and compliance goals. 

With our joint services, you can:

1. Alleviate The Pressures of Audit Preparation  

Vanta was built with auditors and the audit process top-of-mind. Rhymetec will ensure you have all the documents and evidence necessary for the audit itself, and manage the audit process using Vanta as a source of truth.

2. Access Continuous Security and Compliance Monitoring and Support

Vanta's automation capabilities help achieve ongoing compliance maintenance and management, while Rhymetec's vCISO services address ongoing security efforts and questionnaires, aiding new phases of growth.

3. Streamline Control Implementation With Vanta Compliance Services

Rhymetec implements controls required by the compliance framework selected by the client. Vanta plays a key role in this process for each control through system integrations and identification of areas for improvement. 

Together, we provide a simplified approach to security and the compliance automation process. We work together to provide an automated and comprehensive solution, saving significant time and resources for you. 

Our Vanta Compliance Services

Vanta Implementation and Deployment

Vanta automates 90% of compliance tasks through integrations with 300+ systems, real-time control monitoring, and automated evidence collection. 

The Rhymetec team configures and deploys the platform on your behalf, integrating it with your infrastructure to maximize automation capabilities. We connect relevant systems, set up automated workflows, and customize policies to fit your organization and the selected compliance framework. 

With Vanta deployment carried out by our experts, your team avoids the complexity of configuring integrations. From day one, we ensure accurate and reliable compliance monitoring and allow you to dramatically reduce the burden on your internal resources.  

Compliance Framework Support From Start To Finish

Vanta provides pre-built controls for 20+ frameworks, including SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and GDPR. It automates scoping and document management and provides a foundation for policy creation. The Rhymetec team aligns these automated capabilities with your business needs and your selected compliance framework, performing the tasks required for full compliance such as internal audits, tabletop exercises, and evidence preparation. 

Managing compliance without a dedicated team can lead to missed controls or even doing too much and implementing unnecessary requirements. By handling the full compliance process, we eliminate uncertainty, accelerate your audit readiness, and ensure your documentation fully meets auditor expectations.

Continuous Optimization and Compliance Maintenace

Vanta's continuous monitoring identifies failing controls, missing security measures, and real-time compliance risks. Automated notifications provide alerts to potential issues, and remediation workflows drive fast resolution. 

Our team at Rhymetec oversees these alerts, interprets risk impacts, and executes the manual corrections on your behalf so you can maintain compliance. 

Ongoing compliance management is resource-intensive. Without expert oversight, organizations risk falling out of compliance between audits. With our team handling continuous monitoring and remediation, your organization stays audit-ready, reduces compliance drift, and proactively addresses any security gaps.

Penetration Testing To Meet Audit and Regulatory Requirements

Many voluntary frameworks as well as legal requirements require penetration testing.

SOC 2, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, CMMC, and HIPAA all include requirements to regularly test network and application security. Regulations such as GDPR and CCPA also encourage proactive security measures to identify vulnerabilities before a security incident can occur, and penetration testing can be used to fulfill these requirements. 

Rhymetec started as a penetration testing company in 2015, and we offer the highest quality penetration tests to meet your organization's compliance obligations while enhancing its security posture. We provide detailed reports of the findings, along with remediation recommendations, helping your organization address security gaps before an audit. 

We offer a range of penetration testing services to fit your security and compliance needs, including mobile application penetration testing and web application penetration testing.

Strategic Security Guidance

Vanta's AI-driven features streamline core compliance areas to include risk management, access reviews, vendor security assessments, and security questionnaires. The platform accelerates compliance workflows, while expert guidance from Rhymetec's team enables you to interpret findings, implement security best practices, and customize controls based on your unique risk profile and risk appetite. 

Security and compliance strategies must be tailored to business needs. Without in-house expertise, it can be difficult to implement effective controls. With Rhymetec's team providing ongoing guidance, while leveraging Vanta's cutting-edge integrations and capabilities, you gain a compliance program that meets regulatory requirements while reducing risk to your organization and maintaining operational efficiency. 

Why Rhymetec?

Transparency:

We believe our clients deserve complete clarity about what they're getting, how we work, and the results they can expect. Whether it's our methodologies, testing scope, or the tools we use, we provide detailed insights at every step.

Autonomous:

As a self-funded company, we have the freedom to make client-focused decisions quickly and flexibly. This independence allows us to adapt our services to meet your unique needs and help our partners win in competitive scenarios. Our autonomy ensures every decision prioritizes your success.

Team Credentials:

Our team boasts a broad range of industry-recognized certifications, including Burp Suite Certified Practitioner, ISC2 CISSP, EC-Council CHFI, CPENT, Offensive Security: OSE3 OSED OSEP OSWA OSWE OSCP, and CompTIA Security+, PECB Internal Auditor Certifications, and more.

Market Maturity:

Rhymetec was founded in 2015. Our specialized expertise ensures a deeper understanding of your business's unique challenges, providing the most impactful security insights. Don't settle for less experienced competitors when it comes to protecting your business or meeting the needs for compliance requirements.

Frameworks Supported by Rhymetec's Vanta Compliance Services

Achieve compliance faster and with greater confidence with Vanta's automation and Rhymetec's hands-on security expertise. Together, we streamline control implementation and tackle every step of the compliance process for you. We fully manage the following frameworks (and more) on your behalf, from start to finish, getting you over the finish line with your audit in the fastest time frame possible:

SOC 2 With Vanta & Rhymetec

Vanta automates control monitoring, policy management, and evidence collection for SOC 2, reducing the time required to prepare for an audit. As SOC 2 allows flexibility in control implementation (which requires interpretation to align with your business operations), the Rhymetec team ensures that automated controls are properly scoped, fills in gaps with manual tasks like risk assessments and penetration testing, and guides your team through audit readiness. 

ISO 27001 With Vanta & Rhymetec

Vanta accelerates ISO 27001 certification by automating risk assessments, system inventory, and document management, including the Statement of Applicability. ISO 27001 also requires internal audits and ongoing security improvements. Our team at Rhymetec handles these manual components and others, develops custom policies, and aligns your Information Security Management System (ISMS) to your business risks. 

GDPR

Vanta supports GDPR compliance through automated access reviews, vendor risk assessments, and security monitoring. GDPR compliance also entails implementing legal and operational processes, such as data mapping, incident response planning, Data Protection Impact Assessments, and more. At Rhymetec, our vCISOs carry out these actions and ensure that all of your privacy policies, manual risk assessments, and data processing agreements are in full alignment with GDPR requirements. 

HIPAA

Vanta automates HIPAA compliance by monitoring technical safeguards, conducting access control reviews, and managing security policies. For the aspects of HIPAA compliance that require administrative safeguards, such as employee training, documented risk management procedures, and business associate agreements, the Rhymetec team bridges the gap by filling in or fine-tuning these items. For example, we implement customized employee training and advise you on regulatory expectations. Leveraging Vanta and our services provides a complete approach to HIPAA compliance. 

PCI DSS

Vanta identifies security gaps related to PCI DSS controls, while the Rhymetec team fills pieces such as penetration testing, network segmentation, and quarterly scanning. Our experts ensure that all PCI DSS requirements are met, manages security assessments, and handles auditor interactions for you. By combining Vanta's automation with our technical security expertise, you meet the requirements in the fastest timeframe possible and maintain continuous compliance over time. 

CMMC

Vanta helps streamline CMMC compliance by automating areas such as security control monitoring and access review. While working to meet the extensive CMMC requirements under risk management, ongoing assessments, and security controls, a dedicated team of security and compliance experts can greatly reduce the complexity for your organization. While leveraging Vanta, Rhymetec’s team ensures that all necessary security measures (including incident response planning tailored to your organization, system security plans, and third-party risk management) are correctly implemented. 

Additional Frameworks Supported By Rhymetec and Vanta

Beyond the frameworks listed above, Vanta and Rhymetec support a range of other compliance frameworks. These include ISO/IEC 42001 for AI risk management, DORA for financial sector resilience, HITRUST CSF for healthcare security, NIST AI RMF for AI governance, The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and various other global and industry-specific standards. 

For any framework(s) you select, using Vanta in conjunction with Rhymetec's guidance streamlines certification, strengthens your security operations, and sets you up for successful long-term compliance. 

Ready to Simplify Your Vanta Compliance Journey?

Don't let compliance barriers slow down your growth. 

Our experts are ready to transform security from a roadblock to a competitive advantage. We leverage the most cutting-edge tools like Vanta on your behalf and remove the work entirely off your plate so you can get back to what really matters - running your business. Contact us today to learn more.

About Rhymetec

Our mission is to make cutting-edge cybersecurity available to SaaS companies and startups. We've worked with hundreds of companies to provide practical security solutions tailored to their needs, enabling them to be secure and compliant while balancing security with budget. We enable our clients to outsource the complexity of security and focus on what really matters – their business. Contact us today to get started.

Interested in reading more? Check out more content on our blog.

Meet Kelsey!

Hello! My name is Kelsey. I grew up in Groton, Massachusetts - think cows, farms, and a lot of trails for biking, walking, and exploring nature. Growing up, I spent every summer at my Nana's beach house in North Hampton, NH, with my brothers. During the school year, my studies, field hockey, and exploring the huge woodlands behind my house was all that mattered! Post high school, I got my Bachelor's Degree in Communications and a minor in Psychology at Emmanuel College in Boston, MA. I stayed in Boston for a couple of years, living with my best friend and the city life. It was amazing, and ultimately started my HR career as an Administrative Assistant as I slowly took on more HR responsibilities. I couldn't imagine a different career path! 

Tell us a surprising fact about yourself…

I've always loved to write, especially poetry. I'm slowly working towards a huge personal goal of creating and publishing my first poetry book under a pseudonym. 

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

I would want the superpower to communicate with all animals - mammals, birds, insects, fish, etc. I'm extremely passionate about all animals and believe it's our obligation as humans to treat all wildlife with respect and compassion. To have the ability to communicate with them directly would allow us as humans to better serve the Earth and live in a symbiotic world with them. 

What are some things you enjoy doing outside of work?

Outside of work, I love to immerse myself in nature and new activities. I try to get my outside-of-work creative juices flowing, and that looks like:

1. LOTS of nature walks, camping, and hikes!

There are so many beautiful places near me, and I try to do at least 3 new hikes a month on the weekends.

2. *Trying* to play the ukulele - I'm self-taught, but it's fun learning new chords and painfully trying to sing along. 

3. Writing poetry and short stories, often inspired by my surroundings. I'll take my writing notebook to the beach and listen to some music or take in the scenery for inspiration.

4. Exploring new restaurants and different cuisines. I love food and don’t shy away from trying unique dishes. I have a running Excel spreadsheet with every restaurant I've eaten at in Santa Barbara since moving here, and the list grows almost every week (my wallet doesn't like this hobby of mine).

5. Working out has been a huge part of my life most recently, and I've focused on moving my body every day and lifting weights. It's the best stress reliever, and has helped me get stronger with trying to surf the California waves!

Tell us about your role at Rhymetec…

I've been at Rhymetec for almost a full year, and lead our people initiatives as our People Operations Specialist. 

For Rhymetec and our employees, I manage:

• Talent Acquisition processes from curating job descriptions, building candidate pipelines, and conducting the recruiting process from initial phone screen to onboarding new hires
• Internal HR compliance 
• Implementation of HR technologies and manage existing HR technologies 
• Performance Management 
• Training, Learning, & Development 

Why did you pursue a career in the cybersecurity industry?

I'd been in the technology industry for the last 4 years, working at a Financial Technology company (in HR) before pursuing Rhymetec. I love working in tech - it's fast-paced and challenging, and you're constantly learning! The work is rewarding as well - helping companies (internal and external) achieve their goals in the cybersecurity space is vital for their success. When I saw the opportunity to work with and for Rhymetec, it felt like a natural next step for me to get into the cybersecurity world from FinTech.

What is your favorite part about working at Rhymetec, or in the cybersecurity industry?

First and foremost, our leadership team and employees are incredible. They have taught me so much about cybersecurity in the last year working with them, and never shy away from a learning moment or giving insights into what is happening in the industry to support me in recruiting or internal efforts.

Working within cybersecurity has taught me how important it is to stay digitally vigilant. I'm able to share this knowledge with my friends, family, and others to stay protected against scams and hackers, and keeping their data safe.

What is the best advice you have ever received?

"Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

This is a quote I keep in my back pocket. I used to be afraid to put myself out there professionally and personally. Whether it's speaking my mind, disagreeing with an internal process, or having a solution in mind to enhance something that isn't working. This quote is the best life rule to me. If you don't put yourself in new, uncomfortable experiences, your life will stay stagnant. Growth and challenging myself, as I believe with others, is extremely important to creating a meaningful life. To have the confidence in yourself to simply experience new things is hard. But trusting yourself and your decisions will catapult you into beautiful things. We should never be afraid to "do the hard thing", and show up as our most authentic selves while doing it.

From a security or compliance perspective, what advice would you give to a potential client or SaaS business?

Security and compliance are not just checkboxes — they're the foundation of trust in any SaaS business. My biggest piece of advice is to prioritize security from day one. Don't wait for an audit or a client request to start thinking about compliance; build a proactive security culture that evolves with your business and ensure you have the right MSSP support in place.

Regular risk assessments, employee security training, and a strong incident response plan can make all the difference. At Rhymetec, we help SaaS companies navigate complex frameworks like SOC 2, ISO 27001, and PCI, ensuring they stay secure, compliant, and ahead of emerging threats. Our passion for supporting compliance and cybersecurity comes from a deep place of understanding SaaS business models and how to stay congruent with emerging trends within cybersecurity & compliance. 

Connect with Kelsey Hannemann

Businesses often rely on a network of vendors to support their operations, yet many don’t realize this reliance comes with significant cybersecurity risks. Because of this, strengthening vendor risk management isn't just a necessity; it's a critical component of maintaining customer trust and safeguarding sensitive information. Here's how businesses can strengthen their vendor risk management practices and stay ahead of potential threats:

Start With Due Diligence

Before onboarding a vendor, conduct a thorough evaluation of their security practices. This means more than simply reviewing their policies or taking their word for it. Begin by requesting detailed information about their cybersecurity measures, including network security, data protection protocols, and any certifications or attestation reports they hold (e.g., ISO 27001 or SOC 2 compliance).

Next, conduct interviews with their team, ask for case studies and request references from other clients. A vendor's security posture should be robust and transparent, and any hesitance or vagueness in providing this information should be considered a red flag.

Implement Ongoing Monitoring And Review Processes

Onboarding a vendor with strong security practices is just the beginning. Cybersecurity isn’t static, and your approach to vendor management shouldn't be either. Define a process for ongoing monitoring of your vendors' security postures. This could involve quarterly reviews, where you reassess vendors' network security, business continuity plans, and any incidents of data breaches.

Regular reviews help verify that vendors maintain the standards agreed upon at the start of your partnership. After all, a vendor's security measures might lapse or become outdated over time, posing a risk to your business. You can identify and address potential issues by staying proactive and conducting regular assessments before they escalate.

Strengthen Communication And Transparency

Transparency is key in vendor relationships, especially when it comes to cybersecurity. Establish clear communication channels and expectations from the start. Your vendors should be aware that you expect to be informed of any security incidents or changes in their operations that could impact their ability to safeguard your data.

You may also want to consider asking your vendors if they have a trust center or public page that outlines their controls and practices, reporting on their security status in real time. This kind of transparency builds trust and allows you to address potential risks swiftly.

Leverage Technology For Continuous Monitoring

As the number of vendors you work with increases, so does the complexity of managing them. To stay ahead, you can invest in technology solutions that help automate the monitoring process. Tools that continuously track vendor performance, security updates, and compliance status can provide real-time insights, enabling you to act quickly if a risk is identified.

These tools can also help you maintain an up-to-date inventory of your vendors, track the flow of data between your company and its vendors, and identify any potential vulnerabilities. In the cybersecurity landscape, where threats evolve rapidly, leveraging technology can provide a significant advantage in staying ahead of potential risks.

Tailor Your Approach Based On Vendor Risk Levels

Not all vendors pose the same level of risk to your organization, so a one-size-fits-all approach to vendor management can be inefficient and ineffective. Instead, classify your vendors based on their access to your sensitive data and the potential impact on your business if their security were to be compromised.

More stringent monitoring and controls should be in place for high-risk vendors, such as those with access to critical systems or sensitive customer information. This might include more frequent reviews, higher standards for cybersecurity measures, and more detailed contractual obligations. A less intensive approach may be sufficient for lower-risk vendors, but they should still be subject to regular reviews to ensure they meet your security expectations.

Cultivate A Culture Of Security Within Your Organization

Strengthening vendor risk management starts with a culture of security within your own organization. Your team should understand the importance of cybersecurity and be trained to identify potential risks when interacting with vendors. Encourage your employees to follow best practices, like verifying the legitimacy of vendor claims and reporting any suspicious behavior.

Develop A Vendor Incident Response Plan

Incidents can still occur no matter how robust your vendor management process is. As such, it’s crucial to have a vendor incident response plan outlining the steps your company will take if a vendor's security is compromised. This plan should include clear communication protocols, roles and responsibilities, and a process for mitigating the impact of a security breach.

By planning for the worst, you can respond quickly and effectively to minimize the damage to your business and your clients. A well-prepared incident response plan can also help to reassure your clients that you are committed to protecting their data, even in the face of unexpected challenges.

In Closing

Strengthening vendor risk management is not a one-time task, but an ongoing commitment. By implementing comprehensive due diligence, ongoing monitoring, clear communication, and leveraging technology, businesses can significantly reduce their exposure to cybersecurity risks. Prioritizing cybersecurity and ethics in vendor management protects your business and builds the trust essential for long-term success in the digital era.

You can read the original article posted in Fast Company by Rhymetec CEO, Justin Rende.

About Rhymetec

Our mission is to make cutting-edge cybersecurity available to SaaS companies and startups. We've worked with hundreds of companies to provide practical security solutions tailored to their needs, enabling them to be secure and compliant while balancing security with budget. We enable our clients to outsource the complexity of security and focus on what really matters – their business. Contact us today to get started.

Interested in reading more? Check out more content on our blog.

Needing to meet EU AI Act compliance has further complicated regulatory requirements around AI for many companies - even those that are located outside of Europe. The stakes are substantial, with fines of up to €35 million or 7% of global annual revenue for serious violations. For context, that exceeds even GDPR penalties.

The Act imposes significant obligations on companies developing or deploying AI systems. If you're a U.S.-based SaaS company offering AI-powered services in the EU, for example, the law may apply to you. If your product touches high-risk areas like healthcare, recruitment, or finance, you'll have stricter protocols to follow. 

Our team at Rhymetec helps organizations understand their compliance requirements, automate the parts of compliance that can be automated, and fast-track your compliance. This article will help you understand whether your AI systems fall within scope and their risk categories, the measures you need to implement, and how to turn compliance into a competitive advantage.

Which Types of Organizations Need EU AI Act Compliance? 

The EU AI Act applies to organizations that develop or use AI systems within the European Union (EU), regardless of where they are based. Even companies outside of the EU must comply if their AI systems affect individuals in the EU.

The Act categories AI systems based on risk, with corresponding requirements for each category:

• Prohibited AI Systems: These are AI systems that pose unacceptable risks. An example of this under the EU AI Act would be an AI system being used to predict the risk of an individual committing a crime based solely on personality or profiling traits. 
• High-Risk AI Systems: AI used in critical areas such as law enforcement, hiring, credit scoring, infrastructure, and medical devices must meet strict requirements. Both providers and deployers of high-risk AI have to comply with these obligations. 
• Limited-Risk AI Systems: AI systems with transparency obligations, such as chatbots or AI-generated content, must disclose that users are interacting with AI. 
• Minimal-Risk AI Systems: These are AI applications with low regulatory impact, such as spam filters or recommendation algorithms. These tend to be largely unaffected by the EU AI Act.

Organizations impacted by the AI Act include:

• AI Developers and Providers: Companies building AI models or integrating AI into their products must meet compliance requirements if their systems fall under high-risk or transparency rules.
• Deployers of High-Risk AI: Businesses using AI systems classified as high-risk in hiring, credit decisions, or critical services must comply with risk management and oversight obligations. 
• Distributors and Importers: Organizations that place AI systems on the EU market must verify compliance before distribution. 
• Non-EU Companies Serving EU Users: Organizations are subject is the Act if they offer AI-driven services or products affecting EU individuals. For example, a software company outside of the EU selling AI-based medical diagnostics to European healthcare providers would need to comply.

Companies must determine which of their AI systems fall under the AI Act's scope and what compliance obligations apply, based on how the technology is being used. 

What Are The Requirements, and How Can EU AI Act Compliance Be Achieved? 

Compliance with the EU AI Act entails several core requirements (all of which Rhymetec can fulfill on your behalf!). Below are the main requirements and how to meet them. Keep in mind that your organization's requirements will vary based on the risk level of your AI systems, as discussed above. 

1. Risk Management

High-risk AI providers are required to extensively document their risk management process. Risk management under the EU AI Act means having a clear process on how you will assess and mitigate AI-related risks, through measures including continuous monitoring and periodic evaluations to address any emerging risks.

2. Incident Response and Business Continuity

Organizations must have mechanisms in place to not only identify AI risks but also to actually respond to incidents. 

Your team should know exactly how they would respond and recover from AI-related failures or security incidents. This can be documented in an incident response plan, which is a good idea for every organization to have regardless of their compliance obligations. For your business continuity plans, the goal should be to ensure that AI systems remain operational and safe during disruptions.

3. Data Protection and Recovery

AI systems must use training data that is as high-quality and unbiased as possible. They must also implement corresponding controls to protect data from unauthorized access, corruption, or loss. This set of requirements under the EU AI Act shares heavy overlap with privacy regulations in the EU, such as GDPR. 

4. Ongoing Security Controls

AI systems need to include safeguards against cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities. This can be accomplished by applying security measures, including access controls, logging, and anomaly detection.

5. Compliance Documentation and Reporting 

Lastly, AI providers need to keep detailed records of system design, functionality, and decision-making processes. High-risk AI systems require additional technical documentation that can be reviewed by regulators.

How Does The EU AI Act Compare To Voluntary AI Frameworks?

Understanding the differences and overlap between the EU AI Act and voluntary frameworks (like ISO 42001 and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework) can help streamline your compliance efforts. The good news is that these frameworks do overlap quite a bit, and you can leverage existing work you may have already completed and/or use EU AI Act compliance to fill in requirements for future regulations.

The EU AI Act vs. ISO/IEC 42001

ISO 42001 provides an excellent framework for AI governance but does not carry legal obligations. Companies that adopt ISO 42001 must still meet the EU AI Act's legal obligations if their AI system(s) fall under the Act. Fortunately, there is some overlap between the EU AI Act and ISO 42001 controls:

If your organization already has an ISO 42001-compliant risk management framework, it can fairly easily be adapted to fulfill the EU AI Act's risk assessment obligations. Both the EU AI Act and ISO 42001 also include controls for bias mitigation and improving data quality. If you have already documented data governance policies under ISO 42001, they can contribute to meeting these requirements. 

Finally, ISO 42001 requires documenting your AI system risks and objectives. The AI Act mandates similar documentation for high-risk AI systems, so an organization that is already ISO 42001 compliant can leverage existing documentation to fulfill the AI Act's record-keeping obligations. 

The EU AI Act vs. The NIST AI Risk Management Framework

The NIST AI RMF is a voluntary guideline that provides a framework organizations can use to manage AI risks, but it does not entail enforcement measures or assign risk categories.

However, both heavily emphasize risk management and governance. Companies that have already adopted the NIST AI RMF already have elements in place that align with the AI Act requirements. For example, the NIST AI RMF defines oversight roles that can be mapped onto the AI Act's requirements to designate responsible individuals for compliance and monitoring. 

Another area in which the requirements overlap is transparency and documentation. Under the NIST AI RMF, organizations are encouraged to document AI risks and decision-making processes. Likewise, the AI Act requires technical documentation for high-risk AI systems, including explanations of system functionality. 

In general, businesses with existing voluntary AI frameworks can accelerate EU AI Act compliance by mapping existing controls to the Act's requirements. Organizations that use the NIST AI RMF or ISO 42001 have a head start in EU AI Act compliance, but must still determine whether their AI system(s) fall under the Act and what additional legal obligations apply.

5 Business Benefits of EU AI Act Compliance

For many organizations, complying with the EU AI Act is a regulatory requirement. However, it can also provide other advantages. Companies that integrate AI Act compliance into their operations reduce their legal risks while strengthening their market position and improving trust. The 5 main benefits are:

1. Broader Access To The EU Market

Compliance allows businesses to sell and deploy AI systems in the EU without facing legal barriers or enforcement actions. Companies that fail to comply, meanwhile, risk facing fines and restrictions on their AI products. 

2. Substantial Reduction in Risk To Your Organization 

By implementing AI governance, risk management, and transparency measures, you can reduce the likelihood of legal disputes, regulatory penalties, and reputational damage to your organization. 

3. An Advantage Over Non-Compliant Competitors

By meeting the requirements under the EU AI Act, your organization can demonstrate a commitment to responsible AI use, which helps differentiate you in the market. Customers, investors, and business partners may prioritize vendors with compliant AI solutions.

4. Stronger AI Governance

A natural byproduct of meeting requirements under the EU AI Act is having clearer AI-related policies and oversight processes. This improves internal decision-making and AI systems' reliability. Companies that comply with the EU AI Act will also find it easier to adapt to other current and/or future AI regulations.

5. Customer and Public Trust 

The general public and businesses are increasingly concerned about AI-related risks. Seeing that you are compliant with the EU AI Act creates reassurance that you take the risks seriously, and builds confidence in your AI products and services.

In Conclusion: EU AI Act Compliance Key Takeaways

The EU AI Act introduces an array of requirements impacting AI providers, deployers, and businesses operating in the EU or serving EU users. Compliance includes risk management, incident response plans, documentation, and ongoing security controls. EU AI Act compliance is an entry point to many business advantages, such as expanding your market access in the EU. 

Many organizations choose to outsource the work of EU AI Act compliance to a virtual CISO (Chief Information Security Officer). Our virtual CISOs at Rhymetec have helped over 1,000 organizations meet their security and compliance needs in the fastest timeframe possible. Contact us today or check out our information on vCISO pricing to learn more. 

Interested in reading more? Check out more content on our blog:

• DORA Compliance Checklist: What The EU's Digital Operational Resilience Act Means For Your Business
• NIS2 Requirements: What You Need To Know For Your Business
• Compliance For Startups: The Definitive Guide to Picking the Right Consultant

This Rhymetec DORA Compliance Checklist will help you understand DORA requirements, how to determine if your business falls under DORA's umbrella, the specific measures you'll need to implement, ways to leverage compliance for business growth, and a roadmap to get started.

The European Union's Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), which took effect in January 2025, aims to protect financial institutions from risks their dependencies on technology providers may pose to them. 

The Act doesn't just cover the financial institutions. If you provide services to EU financial institutions, even if you are a small software company, DORA may apply to you. Many technology providers are classified as "critical ICT third-party service providers" (CTPs) under DORA, and need to adhere to the requirements.

Financial institutions today rely heavily on a variety of services from tech companies. 

For example, your average regional bank nowadays may rely on 1) a cloud storage provider for customer data, 2) a payment processing API for transactions, and 3) a third-party authentication service for security, just to name a few. 

A disruption in the services of any one of these could threaten the bank's ability to operate. Given how reliant financial institutions have become on these types of services, stricter regulatory oversight is long overdue in this sector. DORA aims to fill this need.

Who Needs To Comply With DORA Requirements?

DORA's compliance requirements directly apply to the following categories of organizations:

1. Primary Financial Entities Operating In the EU:

• Banks and credit institutions
• Investment firms 
• Insurance and reinsurance companies
• Payment and electronic money institutions
• Cryptocurrency exchanges and providers
• Crowdfunding service providers

2. Technology Providers Providing Services To Financial Entities in The EU:

• Cloud computing services that support financial institutions
• Datacenter providers
• Network information and communication technology services
• Software and hardware providers critical to financial services
• …and more.

Your organization must consider DORA compliance if you:

• Operate within the EU financial sector.
• Provide technology services to EU financial institutions.
• Have financial sector clients in EU countries.
• Serve as a critical technology provider to financial services.

If you are unsure if your organization needs to comply with DORA, or if you need help getting started, Rhymetec's DORA Compliance Services can assist you. Our experts are happy to answer any questions you may have - we've helped over 700 organizations fast-forward their security and compliance. 

DORA Compliance Checklist: Core Requirements

Let's break down what DORA actually demands from your organization. 

You'll need to oversee the implementation of four pillars, each of which carries specific obligations that will impact your operations differently depending on your organization's role in the financial ecosystem:

DORA Compliance Checklist Pillar 1: ICT Risk Management 

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) risk management is the foundation of DORA compliance. 

The purpose of this pillar is to ensure security is a function of corporate governance. Your executives and board members will need to take an active role in technology decisions, not just sign off on policies. 

The following action items are requirements under this pillar:

Establish a governance framework for ICT risk management: 

• Define who within your organization is responsible for ICT risk management at the executive level, and set policies to formalize accountability and integrate ICT risk into overall risk management. 
• For example, you might appoint a security officer responsible for reporting ICT risks to the board.

Create policies and procedures for ICT risk identification.

• These policies should outline how you will identify threats, protect systems, detect incidents, respond to attacks, and recover.
• Tip: Align these policies with other industry standards like ISO 27001 or NIST. If you already have one of these frameworks, this can make things a lot easier! 

Conduct regular risk assessments for ICT-related threats.

• DORA requires that you regularly evaluate risks to your digital systems and data. This includes assessing vulnerabilities, potential attack vectors, and business impact. 
• Example: A financial services firm might decide to run quarterly assessments to identify weaknesses in its cloud storage security to meet this requirement. 

Implement security measures (if you do not already have them in place). 

• Security measures under DORA requirements include encryption, multi-factor authentication, and network segmentation. For a full list of these measures, reference the official DORA text.
• A backup and recovery plan for ICT disruptions is also required, as is monitoring ICT systems for anomalies and potential threats. This often takes the form of using monitoring tools and log analysis. 

Lastly, employee training on security measures and ICT risk is required. 

• Your staff must receive training in areas such as phishing, password security, and handling sensitive data. 

DORA Compliance Checklist Pillar 2: ICT Incident Reporting Requirements

If you experience a system outage, data breach, or security incident, DORA sets strict rules about reporting the incident. DORA's cyber threat reporting obligations, for example, can require notifications in as few as four hours from the time of the incident. This initial report will need to explain what happened, when you found out, and how it impacts your business and/or your financial sector clients. 

Requirements in this step include:

Develop an internal reporting mechanism for incidents, and figure out how you will identify and classify ICT-related incidents. 

• ICT incidents under DORA are classified based on severity, and your response should be designed to match the severity of the incident. For example, a trading platform might classify a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attack as a high-severity incident requiring an immediate response. 
• Establish policies for reporting major ICT-related incidents to the appropriate authorities within the required timeframe. Regulatory bodies need to be notified in the case of significant disruptions or cyberattacks. 

Document and analyze incidents to improve processes and prevent recurrence.

• Every incident has to be logged, reviewed, and analyzed to improve security measures. 
• After an incident, you should have policies in place to dictate how you will communicate incident impacts and remediation efforts to stakeholders.

DORA Compliance Checklist Pillar 3: Digital Operational Resilience Testing

DORA requires regularly testing your technology systems to ensure they can withstand problems and cyber attacks. 

Organizations must conduct basic security checks of their systems on an annual basis that look for vulnerabilities that could be exploited. Every three years, more extensive testing, including simulated cyber attacks and disaster recovery exercises, needs to be performed. 

Some organizations that fall under even more stringent DORA requirements (due to how pivotal they are to the financial sector) may need to go a step further and hire external security experts to conduct a penetration test. A penetration test is a good idea for all organizations, however, as it is the gold standard way to test your defenses in real-world situations. 

In general, the requirements under this pillar are: 

Conduct periodic testing of ICT systems, and perform penetration testing. 

• Testing your security defenses against common threats like phishing and malware is required under DORA. 
• Penetration testing is the industry-standard way to test your defenses! 

Based on the results of your testing, develop remediation plans. 

• For example, a company may find they need to update their firewall rules and disable unused ports after a penetration tester exposes vulnerabilities in their network.

Document testing outcomes and improvement measures.

• Under DORA requirements, organizations must maintain records of all testing activities, findings, and corrective actions. 

DORA Compliance Checklist Pillar 4: Third-Party Risk Management

Lastly, your responsibility under DORA requirements extends to any vendors you rely on to serve your financial sector clients. 

Every contract with a technology vendor needs to spell out precisely what they deliver, including uptime guarantees and security requirements. Then, you need to actively monitor whether vendors meet these requirements and regularly audit their performance. 

DORA also requires that you plan for vendor failures, and demonstrate how you would switch to a different vendor if needed. One of the goals of this pillar is to help manage vendor concentration risk - organizations shouldn't rely too heavily on any single vendor. 

Requirements include:

Create an inventory of ICT third-party providers.

• You'll need to document all of your vendors that provide ICT-related services. This can include the SaaS platforms you use, for example.
• Assign each vendor a risk level. 

Carry out risk assessments for third-party ICT services.

• DORA requires you to evaluate the security posture of your vendors before and during the relationship. 
• For instance, require your vendors to complete a security questionnaire or share their SOC 2 report.

Establish contractual agreements that define security and resilience expectations.

• Contracts should include cybersecurity requirements, incident response obligations, and compliance expectations relevant to your industry. For example, a payment processor might require its vendors to meet PCI DSS requirements.

Monitor third-party compliance with ICT risk requirements.

• Ongoing oversight of vendors' security practices is required. For example, you could conduct annual reviews of your cloud provider's security controls. 

Develop exit strategies for critical third-party dependencies.

• Businesses must plan ahead for vendor disruptions, by having alternative providers or internal solutions ready. 

DORA Compliance Checklist Timelines: 6-9 Months Total On Average; 4-6 Months Total With Rhymetec

Below is a roadmap with timelines to give you an idea of what you can expect. Although these steps may vary depending on your organization's individual factors and needs, this should give you a general idea of what to plan for:

Initial Assessment and Planning (2-3 Months On Average; With Rhymetec 1 Month) 

The first step is to understand where your organization stands in relation to DORA requirements. To do this: 

• Bring in personnel from IT, security, legal, and business operations in order to understand the roles and impact across your entire organization. If you're a SaaS provider, include project managers who understand your technology stack and business leaders who manage financial sector relationships.
• Conduct a gap analysis, assessing where you currently are versus where you need to be to meet DORA requirements. 
• Create an inventory of technology assets that support financial sector services (also known as mapping your ICT assets). You'll need to document every server, database, API, and third-party system you use. 

After you have a clear understanding of your gaps, the next step is to develop a detailed implementation plan and allocate resources accordingly. Calculate costs for new tools, additional staff, training programs, and possible consulting help. Include both one-time costs (such as new monitoring systems) and ongoing expenses (such as additional security staff or regular testing). 

Implementation (2-4 Months On Average; With Rhymetec 2 Months)

Now comes the actual work of building your compliance program:

• Update your documentation. Create or revise policies and procedures to meet DORA requirements, including incident response plans, business continuity procedures, and vendor management policies. 
• Make your policies practical: Your incident response plan, for example, should include actual contact information and clear steps. 
• Implement new controls. Deploy new security measures, as outlined by DORA requirements, and any monitoring tools or testing procedures you need.
• Update vendor management. You'll likely need to review and update contracts with critical service providers and add requirements for things like incident reporting and service levels.

Testing and Validation (2 Months On Average; With Rhymetec 1-2 Months)

Before finally achieving compliance, testing and validating your new controls is important. To do this:

• Conduct trial runs that allow you to practice your incident response procedures with realistic scenarios. The industry standard way to accomplish this is with a tabletop exercise, where your team works through a fictional but realistic scenario, such as what you would do in the event of a ransomware attack.
• Verify you can meet your recovery time objectives. Test scenarios where you'd need to switch between backup systems or alternative providers, document any gaps you find, and adjust your procedures accordingly based on what you find.
• Have legal and compliance experts review your documentation to make sure it will hold up under regulatory scrutiny.

Ongoing Compliance (Continuous) 

Compliance requires ongoing attention and monitoring.

Organizations that are serious about maintaining compliance should schedule regular reviews of their compliance program, such as on a quarterly basis. This is important because changes in your business or technology impact your DORA obligations. 

Monitor metrics about system performance, incident response times, and vendor service levels to spot potential issues before they impact your compliance.

Lastly, use lessons learned from any incidents that occur to continually improve your procedures, and stay informed about any changes in regulatory best practices and guidance.

Business Benefits of DORA Compliance

While DORA requirements may seem daunting, organizations that embrace these changes stand to gain significant competitive advantages in the European market. Complying with DORA offers substantial business advantages that extend far beyond regulatory adherence. 

Here's how meeting DORA requirements strengthens your market position and creates new opportunities for your business:

1. Access to the EU Financial Market

By meeting DORA requirements, you gain the ability to serve financial institutions across the European Union. 

Banks, insurance companies, and investment firms must work with DORA-compliant technology providers. Your non-compliant competitors get excluded from EU financial sector opportunities, while you can expand your market reach. This creates a clear competitive advantage.

For example, a small cloud storage provider that achieves DORA compliance can compete for contracts with major EU banks, opening up revenue streams that were previously inaccessible. Without compliance, they'd be limited to serving non-financial clients or risking their potential EU financial clients selecting compliant competitors. 

2. Risk Reduction and Cost Savings

The approach to risk management under DORA is intended to help prevent costly incidents before they occur. While it may seem like a costly upfront investment to implement security controls, it costs far less than recovering from major technology failures or cyber-attacks.

For example, DORA-style monitoring enables companies to discover and fix potential system failure points before they can lead to massive revenue loss and reputational damage. 

The time and money spent on monitoring and backup systems is an extremely wise investment compared to the potential losses and reputational damage a system failure could incur on many business's daily operations.

3. Improved Client Trust and Retention

Financial institutions face intense scrutiny over their technology providers. DORA compliance sends a strong signal to them that your company is committed to security and operational excellence, and will be less likely to cause them issues. 

Compliance enables you to provide detailed evidence of your resilience measures, making it easier for financial clients to trust you with their operations. 

It also serves to shorten sales cycles, as your team can readily demonstrate their security and reliability measures to prospective financial sector clients. 

4. Operational Improvements

The rigorous testing that DORA requires can reveal opportunities to improve your operations. 

Let's take a specific example to explain how: 

A trading software provider implementing DORA's system mapping requirements could discover they're running redundant data validation checks across multiple different services. 

By figuring this out, they can reduce their infrastructure costs while improving system performance. Without undergoing the compliance process, whether it be DORA or other regulations, issues like these may have never been discovered.

5. Competitive Differentiation

Achieving compliance with DORA sets you apart even in markets beyond the EU financial sector.

Take, for instance, a cloud database provider trying to compete for contracts with healthcare providers or government agencies. While DORA compliance isn't required for these sectors, the provider could leverage their DORA-compliant controls and processes to demonstrate their commitment to operational resilience, potentially helping win contracts over less rigorously controlled competitors. 

Meeting DORA requirements provides an overall boost to your marketing and sales efforts as well. Your team can use compliance as a differentiator in marketing materials and sales meetings.

6. Position Yourself For Future Regulatory Requirements

Digital operational resilience only stands to become more important across all sectors. DORA-compliant organizations can get ahead of the curve and position themselves for future regulatory requirements. 

Experts anticipate similar regulations to emerge in other regions and industries. DORA-compliant organizations may find themselves already 80% compliant with future regulations, saving significant time and resources compared to competitors who need to start from scratch.

By implementing DORA requirements now, you're preparing your business for future compliance needs while gaining all of the immediate security and operational benefits. 

7. Improve Staff Awareness Around Cybersecurity 

Implementing DORA requirements builds valuable expertise within your organization, at every level. Your team develops skills and know-how in risk management, incident response, and operational resilience that benefit all aspects of your business. 

The value of DORA compliance lies not just in meeting regulatory requirements, but also in building a more resilient and competitive business. While the implementation process requires substantial effort and investment on your part, the resulting business benefits far outweigh the costs. 

DORA Compliance Checklist: Cost Considerations

Costs to achieve DORA compliance will vary depending on your organization's size, complexity, and technology infrastructure.  Here is an estimation of what you can anticipate: 

Initial Assessment and Gap Analysis

Budget Range: $20,000 - $100,000

This includes external consultant fees, internal staff time for documentation and review, assessment tools, and risk mapping and documentation. 

Technology Upgrades and Infrastructure Improvements

Budget Range: $55,000 - $250,000

Most organizations will need to invest in improved monitoring systems, incident response capabilities and technologies, security information and event management (SIEM) upgrades, additional backup and recovery infrastructure, and compliance tracking and reporting tools.

Staff Training and Development

Budget Range: $5,000 - $80,000

Investments include compliance training programs, cybersecurity skill development, incident response workshops/tabletop exercises, and creating new internal roles or reassigning responsibilities.

Ongoing Compliance Maintenance

Annual Budget Range: $33,000 - $165,000

Recurring annual costs include regular system testing, continuous monitoring tools, compliance reviews, updating documentation, and maintaining incident response capabilities.

Potential Hidden Costs of Fulfilling Your DORA Compliance Checklist

Potential hidden costs can include additional administrative overhead, needing to redesign existing processes, productivity loss during implementation, vendor management, and a possible temporary reduction in service delivery.

Cost Mitigation Strategies

Fortunately, there are a few things you can do it mitigate the impact of the cost associated with achieving DORA compliance:

• Start early to spread out implementation costs.
• Use a phased implementation approach and spread costs over multiple budget cycles.
• Use a compliance automation tool.
• Leverage a vCISO service to take the work off your plate entirely while receiving the highest level of service and expertise (to see costs associated with this option, check out our vCISO pricing blog). 

DORA compliance is an investment in your organization's resilience and future competitiveness. While the upfront costs may seem hefty, they pale in comparison to potential losses from a major technology failure, cybersecurity incident, or regulatory non-compliance risks.

Practical Implementation Tips

Fortunately, you don't have to build everything from scratch to implement DORA requirements. 

A compliance automation platform can significantly streamline the process by essentially enabling you to compile and document everything you already have. These tools enable you to automatically track your compliance progress, generate documentation, and alert you to potential gaps. 

(For more information on exactly how the compliance automation process works, check out our blog post on this topic.) 

Working with a virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) can also dramatically simplify your DORA compliance journey. A vCISO brings a wealth of experience in regulatory compliance and helps you avoid common pitfalls while accelerating your implementation timeline, all at a fraction of the cost of a full-time CISO.

By combining compliance automation tools with vCISO support, you can keep costs under control while meeting your DORA requirements in the fastest timeframe possible. 

Additional Resources: Official EU Documentation 

• Official Text of DORA - The full regulation text and requirements. This is the ultimate source of authority for any questions on specific requirements and should be referenced when there are questions about the interpretation of requirements or obligations.
• European Banking Authority (EBA) Guidelines - Technical standards and implementation guidance, as well as the latest updates on DORA implementation. The EBA's Q&A tool is an incredibly useful resource and can be used to answer common implementation questions. 
• European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) - ESMA is one of the regulators responsible for overseeing DORA compliance. They provide updates and interpretations of DORA requirements.

In Conclusion: Get Started Today On Fulfilling Your DORA Compliance Checklist

DORA represents an opportunity to gain access to a lucrative segment of the EU marketplace, improve client trust, and strengthen your organization's operational resilience. 

The most efficient way to begin your compliance journey is by engaging a virtual CISO (vCISO) who can conduct a gap assessment for you, leverage a compliance automation platform on your behalf, and guide your implementation while keeping costs manageable. 

Our team at Rhymetec is happy to answer any questions you may have, and to walk you through how to tailor this DORA compliance checklist to your organization. Contact us today for more information.

About Rhymetec

Our mission is to make cutting-edge cybersecurity available to SaaS companies and startups. We've worked with over 700 companies to provide practical security solutions tailored to their needs, enabling them to be secure and compliant while balancing security with budget. We enable our clients to outsource the complexity of security and focus on what really matters – their business. Contact us today to get started.

Interested in reading more? Check out more content on our blog:

• CISO As a Service: A Scalable Security Solution
• Penetration Testing vs. Vulnerability Scanning: Key Differences
• NIS2 Requirements: What You Need To Know For Your Business

Meet Kyle!

Hi, I'm Kyle! I grew up in Dacula, Georgia which is about 45 minutes outside of Atlanta. My childhood mostly consisted of playing sports year-round while maintaining good study habits. After high school, I went to Kennesaw State University, where I majored in Psychology with a keen interest in human consciousness. During my freshman summer, I was fortunate enough to land a job as a systems administrator, and that’s where my tech career began. 

Tell us a surprising fact about yourself…

I have over 1,000 books in my home library and some of them date back to the mid-1800s.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

If I could have a superpower, it would be the ability to manipulate time. This superpower is important to me because time is one of the fundamental substances of life. Being able to rewind, pause, and fast forward time would allow so many key benefits such as:

• Changing the things I regret (haha)
• Extra time for learning and personal development
• Preventing accidents or dangerous situations
• Experiencing more life

What are some things you enjoy doing outside of work?

Outside of work, I enjoy a variety of activities that help me unwind and explore my passions. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Outdoor Activities: I love spending time in nature, whether it’s hiking on local trails or running around the area. The fresh air and beautiful scenery are always refreshing!
2. Writing: Writing is a significant passion of mine. I enjoy crafting stories, articles, or even journaling my thoughts and experiences. It allows me to express my creativity and communicate ideas effectively.
3. Reading: I’m an avid reader and enjoy diving into different genres, especially psychology and personal development books. It’s a great way to escape and gain new perspectives.
4. Fitness: Staying active is important to me, so I regularly go to the gym and do High-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts. It helps me maintain a healthy lifestyle and boosts my mood.
5. Technical Analysis: I have a keen interest in technical analysis, particularly in financial markets. I spend time analyzing charts and trends, which not only sharpens my analytical skills but also keeps me informed about global market dynamics.

Tell us about your role at Rhymetec…

I have been working at Rhymetec for a little more than 2 years and started as a  Cloud Compliance Analyst. 

Currently, as the Information Security Manager at Rhymetec, my role consists of the following responsibilities:

• Service, Quality Efficiency Improvements
• Internal and External Procedure Maintenance
• Security Team Management Support
• Security Team Training

I love working for Rhymetec because as someone who is addicted to growth, I am confident there’s not a better environment to reach your full potential as a cloud security professional. Also, I have always had a strong passion for the startup space and even invested in companies prior to starting at Rhymetec. Being involved with the companies that will become household names in the near future is extremely exciting.

Why did you pursue a career in the cybersecurity industry?

As a psychology major, cybersecurity was the last thing I imagined making a career. Though I worked in tech throughout college, I was confident that I would spend my working years as a relationship therapist and launch attachment nurseries around the globe. Then, I started to learn about cybersecurity in 2018, considering its upside potential and overall business value. It seemed more innovative to focus on securing the development of technology rather than focus on the insecurities that have developed within people.

I also have some natural attractions to cybersecurity as well such as: 

1. My passion for problem-solving
2. The dynamic and ever-changing nature of the field
3. The opportunity to protect people and organizations from threats

What is your favorite part about working at Rhymetec, or in the cybersecurity industry?

There's nothing more exciting than staying one step ahead of cybercriminals, protecting people's digital lives, and maintaining a strong reputation for the companies we protect.

The constant learning, the chance to use the technology of the future, and knowing that my work directly prevents cyber attacks make my career at Rhymetec incredibly rewarding.

What is your favorite quote or the best advice you have ever received?

I spent a lot of time reading Albert Einstein, who provides great insights and perspectives on all parts of life. One of the most impactful pieces of advice I encountered is his quote: “Strive not to be a man of success, but rather to be a man of value.”

This statement resonates deeply with me as it emphasizes the importance of contributing positively to the world rather than merely chasing accolades or material. In a society that often measures success by material, this perspective serves as a reminder that true fulfillment comes from making meaningful contributions.

From a security or compliance perspective, what advice would you give to a potential client or SaaS business?

When advising a potential client or SaaS business from a security or compliance perspective, I would emphasize the importance of adopting both a proactive and holistic approach to data protection and regulatory adherence. A reactive and narrow will always lead to a large-scale data breach and loss of customer trust.

At Rhymetec, we understand that a proactive and holistic security program involves implementing various controls across multiple security domains including, but not limited to, risk management, incident management, cryptography and access management. Additionally, staying informed about relevant regulations—such as GDPR, HIPAA, or DORA—and regularly ensuring that your practices align with these standards is essential for maintaining compliance and building trust with your clients.

Connect with Kyle Jones