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PSD2 SCA for Risk Managers

What does PSD2 SCA require of a Risk Manager?

Payment Services Directive 2 Strong Customer Authentication requirements. Under PSD2 SCA, which defines 28 controls, a Risk Manager'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 PSD2 SCA controls land on the Risk Manager

Risk Managers identify, assess, and prioritise organisational risks. They build risk registers, conduct risk assessments, define risk appetite, and ensure that compliance frameworks address the most material threats to the organisation.

PSD2 SCA defines 28 controls across 11 domains that directly affect the Risk Manager 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 Risk Manager is accountable for under PSD2 SCA

1

Conducting enterprise risk assessments and maintaining the risk register

2

Defining risk appetite and tolerance levels with executive leadership

3

Mapping compliance controls to identified risks for coverage analysis

4

Monitoring key risk indicators (KRIs) and escalating emerging threats

5

Integrating compliance, operational, and strategic risk management

Where Risk Managers lose time on PSD2 SCA

These are the most common obstacles Risk Managers face when managing PSD2 SCA compliance, and how to address them:

Challenge 1

Quantifying cyber risk in financial terms that resonate with executives

Challenge 2

Identifying gaps between compliance control coverage and actual risk exposure

Challenge 3

Integrating risk data from siloed tools and departments

Challenge 4

Keeping risk assessments current as the threat landscape evolves

Challenge 5

Prioritising remediation when resources are limited

A working order for a Risk Manager starting on PSD2 SCA

1. Readiness Assessment

Take a 5-minute readiness assessment to identify your organisation's current gap profile against PSD2 SCA. Get a prioritised action plan tailored to your specific situation.

2. Cross-Framework Mapping

Use our platform to map PSD2 SCA controls against other frameworks you already comply with. PSD2 SCA maps to 146 other frameworks in our database.

3. Build Your Toolkit

Equip yourself with PSD2 SCA toolkits, self-assessments, and implementation guides from our store. Resources designed specifically for Risk Managers 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.

PSD2 SCA in your sector

PSD2 SCA for Healthcare→PSD2 SCA for Financial Services→PSD2 SCA for Technology→PSD2 SCA for Government→PSD2 SCA for Manufacturing→PSD2 SCA for Energy→PSD2 SCA for Retail→PSD2 SCA for Education→

Who else owns part of PSD2 SCA

PSD2 SCA for CISOsView guide →PSD2 SCA for Compliance OfficersView guide →PSD2 SCA for IT DirectorsView guide →PSD2 SCA for DPOsView guide →PSD2 SCA for AuditorsView guide →

Questions Risk Managers ask about PSD2 SCA

What does a Risk Manager need to know about PSD2 SCA?
As a Risk Manager, your key responsibilities under PSD2 SCA include conducting enterprise risk assessments and maintaining the risk register and defining risk appetite and tolerance levels with executive leadership. The framework contains 28 controls that fall within your area of responsibility. Understanding which controls you own versus which are shared with other teams is critical for effective implementation.
How does PSD2 SCA affect the Risk Manager role?
PSD2 SCA directly impacts Risk Managers through conducting enterprise risk assessments and maintaining the risk register, defining risk appetite and tolerance levels with executive leadership, mapping compliance controls to identified risks for coverage analysis. The framework provides structure that helps Risk Managers demonstrate due diligence and report compliance status to stakeholders.
What are the biggest PSD2 SCA challenges for Risk Managers?
Common challenges include quantifying cyber risk in financial terms that resonate with executives; identifying gaps between compliance control coverage and actual risk exposure; integrating risk data from siloed tools and departments. Using cross-framework mapping tools and automated evidence collection can significantly reduce these pain points.
How should a Risk Manager prepare for a PSD2 SCA audit?
Start by conducting a readiness assessment to identify gaps. Then focus on mapping compliance controls to identified risks for coverage analysis and monitoring key risk indicators (kris) and escalating emerging threats. Maintain a current evidence repository and ensure all control owners have documented their processes. Our readiness reports provide a prioritised action plan specific to your gap profile.
What tools help Risk Managers manage PSD2 SCA compliance?
Effective PSD2 SCA compliance management requires tools for gap analysis, control mapping, evidence collection, and reporting. Our compliance platform provides AI-powered gap analysis across 1,120 frameworks with 315K+ verified control-to-control mappings, helping Risk Managers identify overlapping requirements and reduce duplicate compliance effort.

Risk Manager: How ready is your organisation for PSD2 SCA?

Answer 25 questions and get a professional readiness report with gap analysis, maturity scores, and prioritised action items. Results in 5 minutes.

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Written and maintained by Gerard Blokdyk, The Art of Service.Last updated .