Why Certification Matters in Financial Services
Banks, payment providers, and fintech companies operate under some of the most demanding regulatory environments in the world. Certifications such as ISO 27001 and PCI DSS have moved from differentiators to baseline requirements — demanded by institutional clients, card networks, regulators, and market access programmes.
Whether you are seeking a licence, onboarding a Tier 1 banking partner, or expanding into a new jurisdiction, internationally recognised certifications from BALTUM's accredited partner network provide the formal documentation required at every stage.
Relevant Frameworks for Financial Services
- ISO/IEC 27001 — Foundational information security management, required by most enterprise banking procurement.
- PCI DSS — Mandatory for any organisation that stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data.
- DORA (EU) — Digital Operational Resilience Act; mandatory for EU-regulated financial entities from January 2025.
- SOC 2 Type II — Critical for US market access and SaaS fintech platforms serving US clients.
- ISO 22301 — Business Continuity Management, often required alongside DORA compliance.
- GDPR / EU AI Act — Privacy and AI governance obligations for EU-operating entities.
- NIS2 Directive — Applies to financial sector entities designated as important or essential under EU Member State transpositions.
DORA Compliance — What You Need to Know
The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) entered into force on 17 January 2025, applying to EU-regulated financial entities including banks, payment institutions, investment firms, and their critical ICT third-party providers. DORA mandates ICT risk management frameworks, resilience testing, incident reporting, and third-party risk oversight.
BALTUM provides scoped DORA readiness assessments and gap analysis that map your existing ISO 27001 and ISO 22301 controls to DORA requirements — minimising duplication and accelerating compliance timelines.
Integrated Multi-Standard Programmes
Financial services organisations typically need multiple certifications simultaneously. BALTUM architects integrated programmes that share a unified evidence framework — reducing audit duplication and significantly cutting the time and cost compared to sequential single-standard engagements.
Common combinations: ISO 27001 + PCI DSS | ISO 27001 + DORA + ISO 22301 | SOC 2 + ISO 27001 + GDPR
Typical Engagement Timeline
- ISO 27001 — first certification: 4–6 months for mid-size fintech
- PCI DSS SAQ/ROC: 3–8 months depending on scope
- DORA readiness (gap to compliant): 3–5 months for ISO 27001-certified organisations
- Integrated ISO 27001 + SOC 2: 5–7 months with unified evidence framework