Guide
The Multi-Standards Compliance Guide for SMEs
How to Manage ISO 27001, NIS2, DORA and GDPR Without Multiplying Tools
Chapter 1: Introduction - The Challenge of Multi-Standard Compliance in 2025
The European Regulatory Context
2025 marks a turning point in the European cybersecurity regulatory landscape. With DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) coming into force in January 2025 and NIS2 deadlines approaching, businesses face an unprecedented accumulation of regulatory obligations.
Key Figures:
- 73% of SMEs concerned by 3+ standards
- 45% of IT budgets dedicated to compliance
- €2.3 million: average cost of non-compliance
- $4.45 million: global average cost of a data breach (IBM 2023)
Why This Guide Is Essential
Most companies approach each standard in isolation, creating inefficient compliance silos. This approach multiplies efforts, costs, and risks of inconsistency.
This guide offers an alternative: a unified methodology that capitalizes on natural overlaps between standards to optimize your compliance approach.
Chapter 2: Standards Overview
ISO 27001:2022
The international reference standard for information security management systems (ISMS).
Key Requirements:
- 93 controls across 4 themes
- Risk-based approach
- Continuous improvement (PDCA)
With Domyno: The platform automatically generates ISO 27001 policies and tracks compliance with all 93 Annex A controls via dedicated dashboards.
NIS2
The European directive on network and information system security, reinforced version.
Key Requirements:
- Cybersecurity governance at board level
- Incident notification within 24h/72h
- Supply chain risk management
With Domyno: The incident management module enables NIS2-compliant notifications, with automatic escalation to competent authorities.
DORA
The Digital Operational Resilience Act for the financial sector.
Key Requirements:
- ICT provider register (Article 28)
- Regular resilience testing
- Formalized ICT risk management
With Domyno: The supplier module maintains an Article 28-compliant register and automates ongoing third-party assessments.
GDPR
The European regulation on personal data protection.
Key Requirements:
- Processing register (Article 30)
- Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)
- Breach notification (72h)
With Domyno: The AI assistant generates processing registers and guides DPIA completion in accordance with regulatory recommendations.
Chapter 3: Overlap Zones
The Key Discovery: 70% Synergies
Our comparative analysis of the 4 standards reveals that 70% of requirements overlap. This discovery fundamentally changes the compliance approach.
Correspondence Table
| Domain | ISO 27001 | NIS2 | DORA | GDPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governance | A.5.1-5.4 | Art. 20 | Art. 5 | Art. 24 |
| Risk Management | A.5.7 | Art. 21 | Art. 6 | Art. 32 |
| Incident Management | A.5.24-5.28 | Art. 23 | Art. 17-19 | Art. 33-34 |
| Continuity | A.5.29-5.30 | Art. 21 | Art. 11 | - |
| Suppliers | A.5.19-5.23 | Art. 21 | Art. 28-30 | Art. 28 |
The 5 Common Pillars
- Governance and Responsibilities - Who decides, who executes
- Risk Management - Identification, analysis, treatment
- Asset Protection - Technical and organizational measures
- Detection and Response - Incidents and breaches
- Continuous Improvement - Audits, reviews, corrections
With Domyno: The 5 pillars are structured according to the NIST CSF 2.0 framework (Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, Recover), enabling a unified multi-standard compliance view.
How Domyno helps
One source of truth, agents that prepare the work, and a dedicated expert who reviews it.
Chapter 4: Unified Methodology - The NIST CSF 2.0 Approach
Why NIST CSF 2.0?
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework, in its 2.0 version (2024), offers an internationally recognized structuring framework. It serves as a "meta-framework" capable of integrating requirements from multiple standards.
The 6 Functions of NIST CSF 2.0
1. GOVERN - New in v2.0
- Cybersecurity strategy
- Roles and responsibilities
- Policies and procedures
2. IDENTIFY
- Asset inventory
- Risk assessment
- Data mapping
3. PROTECT
- Access controls
- Awareness training
- Data security
4. DETECT
- Continuous monitoring
- Anomaly detection
- Alerts and correlation
5. RESPOND
- Incident response plan
- Crisis communication
- Post-incident analysis
6. RECOVER
- Continuity plans
- Service restoration
- Continuous improvement
With Domyno: The platform architecture exactly reflects these 6 functions, with modules dedicated to each and complete action traceability.
Chapter 5: Case Study - An SME's Journey to Triple Compliance
Company Profile
- Sector: Financial services
- Size: 450 employees
- Revenue: €85M
- Objective: ISO 27001 + DORA + GDPR in 12 months
Phase 1: Assessment (Months 1-2)
Actions completed with Domyno:
- Automated IT asset inventory
- Data flow mapping
- Initial maturity assessment
Results:
- 342 assets identified
- 47 data processes mapped
- Initial maturity score: 2.1/5
Phase 2: Foundations (Months 3-5)
Actions completed:
- Security policy generation (Domyno AI)
- Governance setup
- Key team training
Results:
- 15 policies generated and validated
- Security committee operational
- 95% of managers trained
Phase 3: Implementation (Months 6-9)
Actions completed:
- Technical control deployment
- Critical supplier evaluation
- Initial resilience tests
Results:
- 78/93 ISO 27001 controls compliant
- 12 suppliers evaluated (DORA Article 28)
- 2 crisis exercises completed
Phase 4: Certification (Months 10-12)
Actions completed:
- Gap assessment with Domyno
- Remediation of gaps
- Official certification
Results:
- ISO 27001 certification achieved
- DORA compliance validated
- GDPR register up to date
Project ROI
| Indicator | Before | After | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance time | 24 months estimated | 12 months | -50% |
| Consultant budget | €180K | €75K | -58% |
| Dedicated FTE | 2.5 | 1 | -60% |
| Documents created | 150+ manuals | 45 templates | -70% |
Chapter 6: Checklist - 20 Priority Actions
Governance (Actions 1-5)
- ☐ Appoint a security officer (CISO/DPO)
- ☐ Create a cybersecurity steering committee
- ☐ Define the general security policy
- ☐ Map stakeholders
- ☐ Validate annual security budget
Risks (Actions 6-10)
- ☐ Inventory critical assets
- ☐ Conduct initial risk analysis
- ☐ Prioritize risks (probability/impact matrix)
- ☐ Define treatment plans
- ☐ Set up residual risk monitoring
Protection (Actions 11-15)
- ☐ Deploy strong authentication (MFA)
- ☐ Encrypt sensitive data
- ☐ Segment the network
- ☐ Train employees (awareness)
- ☐ Evaluate critical suppliers
Detection & Response (Actions 16-20)
- ☐ Set up log monitoring
- ☐ Write the incident response plan
- ☐ Define notification procedures
- ☐ Schedule continuity tests
- ☐ Establish internal audit calendar
Conclusion: Take Action
Multi-standard compliance is no longer optional for SMEs. But it doesn't have to be an insurmountable burden.
The 3 Keys to Success:
- Adopt a unified approach - NIST CSF 2.0 as the backbone
- Automate as much as possible - Modern tools reduce repetitive tasks by 80%
- Capitalize on overlaps - 70% of efforts can be shared
Next Step
Discover how Domyno can support your multi-standard compliance journey. Our experts will show you how the platform automates policy generation, control tracking, and audit preparation.
Request a personalized demo →