DORA has applied across the EU since 17 January 2025, and Article 26 requires financial entities designated as significant by their regulator to undergo threat-led penetration testing (TLPT) at least every three years, following the TIBER-EU framework. The threat intelligence has to come from an external provider, and at least every third test needs an external red team.
Most Cyprus CIFs and forex brokers will never be formally designated for full TLPT — that bar is generally reserved for large, systemically important entities. But DORA's broader ICT-risk and resilience-testing obligations still apply to almost everyone regulated under it, which is exactly the gap this service is built to close, whichever side of the TLPT line you fall on.
We start by establishing whether formal TLPT actually applies to you, based on your regulator's designation criteria and your size and systemic footprint. For entities in scope, we run a threat-intelligence-led red team engagement through the TIBER-EU phases — preparation, threat intelligence, live red-team testing against production, and a closure workshop. For the much larger group of DORA-regulated firms not yet at that scale, we deliver a resilience-focused penetration test mapped directly to DORA's ICT-risk pillars, without the cost and overhead of a full TIBER-EU exercise you are not required to run.
Why it matters
Cyprus hosts one of the EU's largest concentrations of CIFs, forex brokers and electronic money institutions, all of which fall under DORA regardless of any national transposition step, because DORA is a Regulation, applied directly. Getting the scope wrong is costly in both directions: running a full TIBER-EU TLPT you were never required to do wastes budget, while assuming DORA does not apply to you because you are "too small for TLPT" leaves the ICT-risk and resilience-testing obligations that do apply unaddressed and unevidenced.
What we test
- DORA applicability & TLPT-scope determination
- Threat-intelligence-led attack scenario design (where TLPT applies)
- Red-team simulation against production-aligned systems
- Detection & response validation during live testing
- Closure workshop & purple-team debrief
- DORA ICT-risk pillar mapping (for non-TLPT-scope engagements)
Common vulnerabilities we uncover
- Untested incident detection and response processes
- Excessive trust between production and third-party ICT systems
- Critical ICT third-party providers not assessed under DORA oversight
- No documented evidence of resilience testing for supervisors
- A Board with no real picture of true attack-path exposure
- Uncertainty over whether TLPT actually applies to the firm at all
How we run your engagement
- Kick-off & scoping. A short call to agree goals, in-scope assets and rules of engagement, so your dora tlpt — threat-led penetration testing is safe, authorised and aimed at your real business risk.
- Mapping & discovery. Before touching anything we map the full attack surface in scope, so nothing exploitable slips through.
- Hands-on testing. Cyprus-based specialists exploit and chain weaknesses manually — the flaws scanners walk straight past — to show genuine impact.
- Reporting. Each issue is verified, CVSS-rated and documented with a step-by-step reproduction and a practical fix your team can apply.
- Free retest. Once you have remediated, we re-test at no extra cost to confirm the attack path is truly closed.
Tools & techniques
For designated entities, we build the engagement around real threat intelligence on adversaries likely to target your specific institution, then run a red team test against production systems mapped to MITRE ATT&CK, coordinating with your internal control team throughout and finishing with a purple-team closure workshop that validates detection and response, not just initial access.
For firms below the TLPT threshold, we scope a leaner, DORA-aligned penetration test against your ICT-risk pillars — anticipation, protection, detection, response and recovery — so you get resilience evidence proportionate to what your regulator actually expects of you.
When you need this engagement
- You have been designated a "significant" entity and TLPT applies to you
- You are unsure whether DORA's TLPT requirement applies to your firm
- You need DORA-aligned resilience testing without the cost of formal TIBER-EU TLPT
- Your Board needs documented evidence of digital operational resilience testing
- You rely on critical third-party ICT providers that fall under DORA oversight
What you receive
- DORA applicability & TLPT-scope determination memo
- Threat-intelligence-led test plan (where TLPT applies)
- Red-team or resilience-test execution report
- Detection & response gap findings
- DORA ICT-risk pillar evidence pack
- Executive and supervisor-ready report
Your deliverables
When your dora tlpt — threat-led penetration testing wraps up, you receive a clear, audit-ready report plus a walkthrough call with your team. Inside you will find:
- A concise executive summary that management and the board can act on
- Every technical finding with a reproducible, copy-paste proof of concept
- CVSS v3.1 ratings and plain-language business impact for each issue
- Practical, prioritised remediation your developers can implement straight away
- A free retest and updated finding status once fixes are in place
- A signed attestation letter for clients, auditors, GDPR, NIS2 and ISO 27001
Standards & frameworks
DORA (EU 2022/2554), Article 26
TIBER-EU Framework
MITRE ATT&CK
What you gain
By the end of your dora tlpt — threat-led penetration testing, you will know exactly which weaknesses a real attacker could exploit, what it would cost your business, and the precise order in which to fix them — backed by evidence, not a scanner’s guesswork. Cyprus firms use our findings to close critical gaps, satisfy client and regulator security questionnaires, and demonstrate due diligence for GDPR and NIS2. With a free retest included, you also get documented proof the issues are resolved.
Working with us
Every dora tlpt — threat-led penetration testing begins with a short, no-obligation scoping call to understand your goals, environment and constraints, followed by a fixed-price proposal. Most work is delivered remotely, and because we are based in Cyprus we work in your timezone with on-site visits across Limassol, Nicosia and island-wide where it helps. We keep you updated throughout and flag any critical finding immediately rather than waiting for the report. Everything is covered by a signed NDA and safe, non-disruptive testing that protects your production systems. You receive your report, a walkthrough and a complimentary retest once fixes land. Engagements are typically booked one to three weeks ahead, and urgent testing can often be arranged — just email hi@cypruspentest.com.
Why Cyprus businesses choose CyprusPentest
Your dora tlpt — threat-led penetration testing is run by senior offensive-security specialists who test the way genuine attackers do — manually, creatively and focused on proving real impact. What sets us apart:
- Based in Cyprus — local, in your timezone, with on-site coverage across Limassol and Nicosia.
- Manual, exploit-led testing that chains vulnerabilities the way an attacker would, well beyond automated scanners.
- Reproducible proof for every finding, with copy-paste steps your team can independently verify.
- Compliance-ready reporting that supports GDPR, NIS2, ISO 27001 and CySEC expectations.
- A free retest so you have documented evidence your fixes actually hold.
- Fixed-price and responsive, with a named point of contact from scoping through to retest.
Explore related services
DORA TLPT — Threat-Led Penetration Testing pairs well with our other Cyprus penetration testing services for fuller coverage. You may also want:
How much does DORA TLPT — Threat-Led Penetration Testing cost?
Every dora tlpt — threat-led penetration testing in Cyprus is scoped and priced individually, so you pay only for the coverage you need — with no hidden extras. After a short, no-obligation scoping call we send a fixed-price quote, usually within one business day, with clear deliverables, a firm timeline and a complimentary retest included. The price depends on the size and complexity of your environment, so you always know the cost up front before any work begins.
Get a fixed-price quote
Frequently asked questions
Does my firm actually need full TLPT?
Formal TLPT under DORA Article 26 is generally reserved for entities your regulator designates as significant, based on size and systemic importance. Most smaller CIFs and forex brokers do not meet that bar, but still benefit from DORA-aligned resilience testing — we determine which applies to you before scoping anything.
What is TIBER-EU?
TIBER-EU is the EU-wide framework DORA's TLPT requirement is built on: a threat-intelligence-led red team test run in phases — preparation, testing and closure — designed to simulate a realistic, targeted attack against your live production environment.
How often is TLPT required?
At minimum every three years for designated entities, though your regulator can require it more frequently based on your risk profile.
Do you provide the threat intelligence too?
Yes, or we coordinate with your existing threat intelligence provider — DORA requires that intelligence to come from an external source regardless of who supplies it.