EU Digital Markets Act for CISOs
What does EU Digital Markets Act require of a CISO?
Regulation (EU) 2022/1925 (the Digital Markets Act, DMA) creates EU ex-ante rules for the largest digital platforms ('gatekeepers') providing 'core platform services' (CPS): online intermediation, search engines, social networks, video-sharing platforms, number-independent interpersonal communication services (N-IICS), operating systems, web browsers, virtual assistants, cloud computing services, online advertising services. Under EU Digital Markets Act, which defines 26 controls, a CISO's work is deciding which controls you own outright, which you share and which belong to another team, then holding the evidence for the first group.
Which EU Digital Markets Act controls land on the CISO
CISOs own the organisation's information security strategy, budget, and risk posture. They translate compliance requirements into security programmes, report to the board, and balance security investment against business objectives.
EU Digital Markets Act defines 26 controls across 7 domains that directly affect the CISO role. Understanding which controls fall within your ownership, which are shared, and which are owned by other teams is the foundation of effective compliance management.
What a CISO is accountable for under EU Digital Markets Act
Defining and executing the information security strategy aligned to business goals
Presenting cyber risk posture and compliance status to the board and executive team
Allocating security budget across people, process, and technology investments
Managing the security organisation and building a security-aware culture
Overseeing incident response capability and crisis management readiness
Where CISOs lose time on EU Digital Markets Act
These are the most common obstacles CISOs face when managing EU Digital Markets Act compliance, and how to address them:
Challenge 1
Justifying security investment to the board with clear business metrics
Challenge 2
Managing compliance across multiple frameworks without duplicating effort
Challenge 3
Hiring and retaining qualified security professionals in a competitive market
Challenge 4
Keeping pace with evolving threats while maintaining compliance baselines
Challenge 5
Balancing security controls with business agility and user experience
A working order for a CISO starting on EU Digital Markets Act
1. Readiness Assessment
Take a 5-minute readiness assessment to identify your organisation's current gap profile against EU Digital Markets Act. Get a prioritised action plan tailored to your specific situation.
2. Cross-Framework Mapping
Use our platform to map EU Digital Markets Act controls against other frameworks you already comply with. EU Digital Markets Act maps to 3 other frameworks in our database.
3. Build Your Toolkit
Equip yourself with EU Digital Markets Act toolkits, self-assessments, and implementation guides from our store. Resources designed specifically for CISOs managing compliance programmes.
4. Continuous Monitoring
Establish ongoing compliance monitoring using our platform's gap analysis tools. Track your maturity over time and demonstrate progress to stakeholders.
EU Digital Markets Act in your sector
Who else owns part of EU Digital Markets Act
Questions CISOs ask about EU Digital Markets Act
What does a CISO need to know about EU Digital Markets Act?
How does EU Digital Markets Act affect the CISO role?
What are the biggest EU Digital Markets Act challenges for CISOs?
How should a CISO prepare for a EU Digital Markets Act audit?
What tools help CISOs manage EU Digital Markets Act compliance?
CISO: How ready is your organisation for EU Digital Markets Act?
Answer 25 questions and get a professional readiness report with gap analysis, maturity scores, and prioritised action items. Results in 5 minutes.