Third-party risk management under DORA presents a significant challenge: Article 28 mandates a continuously updated Register of Information, yet no off-the-shelf tool is provided by the ESAs. Many institutions resort to Excel-style interfaces, manually opening contracts, hunting for codes, company names, or country details, and copy/pasting that information across multiple tabs—an error-prone, time-consuming process.
That’s why we launched the DORA Register Handler. Designed around a contract-centric filling process, it replaces tedious spreadsheets with a single, guided form. Users enter each detail just once; the platform then merges and distributes that data across all relevant tables, validations, and export formats (XML/CSV) without breaking relational logic. Behind the scenes, it automates relationship checks, code-dictionary management, and regulator-ready output generation—yet from the user’s perspective, there’s no repeated copy/pasting or tab-hopping.
CyberUpgrade’s DORA Register Handler delivers a faster, more reliable, and audit-ready compliance experience than anything else on the market. In the rest of this article, I’ll explore how it works, what legacy processes it replaces, and why it’s the smoothest path to DORA compliance.
The growing need for automation in DORA compliance
Financial institutions today face dual pressures: meeting strict DORA requirements and doing so efficiently with existing resources. Traditional tools—usually spreadsheets—fail under the weight of complex interdependencies, multiple update cycles, and strict data validation rules. That complexity has created a steep learning curve, especially for smaller teams or those new to DORA.
CyberUpgrade’s DORA Register Handler changes the equation. It simplifies register management through automation, reducing both technical complexity and the time required to complete each entry. Teams can build a complete Register of Information from contracts in a matter of hours, not days. That means faster onboarding, fewer errors, and consistent readiness for supervisory audits.
| Task | Manual Spreadsheets | CyberUpgrade DORA Register Handler |
| Data Input | Copied into 15+ separate tables | Single-entry form with field linking |
| Code Lookup | Manual reference to code dictionaries | Auto-filled with in-form suggestions |
| Error Checking | Manual and retrospective | Real-time validation as you go |
| Export Format (XML/CSV) | Requires scripting or manual formatting | One-click, regulator-ready export |
| Change Management | Requires editing across multiple sheets | Centralized and automatically synced |
The result is not just a faster process—it’s a shift from reactive compliance to proactive oversight.
Inside the DORA Register Handler: how it works
The core of the tool is a structured, guided entry interface designed to reflect the DORA schema exactly. Each form field corresponds directly to regulatory requirements, and logic checks are built in to catch mistakes before they become reporting problems. Once entered, data is linked across all 15 datasets—contracts, services, vendors, subcontractors—automatically.
For example, entering a new ICT provider with critical business functions prompts the system to populate all related entries, assign appropriate codes, and flag risk thresholds. Updates to contracts, like end dates or support changes, cascade through the register instantly.
| Function | Description |
| Guided Entry Form | Simplifies data input with human-readable fields |
| Automatic Relationship Mapping | Links vendors, services, and contracts with built-in logic |
| Data Validation | Checks all entries in real time for format, completeness, and logic |
| One-Time Input | Information entered once is reused across relevant tables |
| Export Function | Generates fully formatted XML/CSV exports for regulators |
The user experience is designed for accessibility, enabling compliance and legal professionals to manage the process without requiring deep technical knowledge or coding skills.
Eliminating major compliance challenges
Building a register of information might seem straightforward until you’re dealing with 15 interlinked tables, dozens of contracts, and a regulator who accepts no errors. Even small oversights—like a misapplied service code or missing subcontractor relationship—can derail a submission.
CyberUpgrade’s tool solves this in three ways: form validation, logic-driven automation, and single-source data entry. This reduces time spent checking and cross-checking spreadsheet rows, and eliminates the risk of format or logic errors.
| Challenge | Impact on Institutions | Solution in DORA Register Handler |
| Manual entry across multiple tables | Time-consuming and error-prone | Unified entry point with smart distribution |
| Dependency validation | Errors break relationships across datasets | Built-in logic validation during entry |
| Report formatting | Requires precision and coding expertise | One-click export in validated XML/CSV |
| Maintaining register over time | Updates often break schema links | Automatically synced and version-controlled |
By resolving these issues at the data input level, the tool ensures long-term compliance without requiring ongoing manual corrections or IT involvement.
How the DORA Register Handler fits into CyberUpgrade’s platform
CyberUpgrade’s product suite is built for modular compliance. The DORA Register Handler can be used on its own or in combination with existing CyberUpgrade tools, including our core DORA modules and third-party risk workflows. This flexibility means customers can expand as they grow without restructuring their processes.
Compared to the rest: what makes our tool different?
Most DORA register solutions on the market offer a narrow interface—often an Excel-like spreadsheet or CSV import—that forces users to juggle multiple tabs and manually copy/paste data from the contract into every relevant field. Users must open the contract, hunt for codes, company names, countries, and then insert them repeatedly in different parts of the tool. This process is time-consuming, error-prone, and hard to track.
In contrast, CyberUpgrade employs a contract-centric filling process: you begin by reviewing the contract and entering all required data once into a guided web form. Our solution then automatically merges and distributes that profile information—codes, entity names, countries, etc.—throughout the entire DORA register tables. Embedded logic and validation guide you from contract review to final report submission, with pre-validated export formats ready for submission. There’s no need for third-party implementations or custom integrations, and no repeated copy/paste across multiple tabs.
| Feature | Common Tools | CyberUpgrade DORA Register Handler |
| Entry Format | Spreadsheet or CSV; Excel-like interface requiring multiple copy/paste from contract | Guided web-based form with contract-centric input: enter data once and propagate automatically |
| Code Handling | Manual lookup; users copy/paste codes repeatedly | Automated suggestions and dictionary linking; contract-aware code mapping |
| Update Management | Manual per table; changes must be applied in multiple places | Synced updates across all linked data via a single profile |
| Export Capability | CSV/XBRL export but requires manual checks and adjustments | Pre-validated XML/CSV exports, ready for submission |
| Integration Requirements | Standalone tools that often need custom onboarding or integrations | Optional standalone or integrated with CyberUpgrade platform; no third-party required |
| Target User | Typically IT or Regulatory Reporting teams accustomed to spreadsheets | Legal, Risk, and Compliance teams empowered with a streamlined, non-technical UX |
This distinction is critical: CyberUpgrade’s contract-centric approach empowers non-technical users to manage high-stakes regulatory tasks efficiently—eliminating repetitive copy/paste, reducing errors and bottlenecks, and guiding the entire process from the contract text to final submission.
Unlocking DORA compliance for everyone
Regulators aren’t handing out tools for DORA compliance—but CyberUpgrade is. We’re still in the development stage of the product but want to offer it to as many customers as possible, so we’re opening it to early access customers as a free trial. The DORA Register Handler offers automation, accessibility, and regulatory alignment in one platform. By dramatically lowering the barrier to entry, it allows compliance and legal professionals to confidently manage their registers without external help or spreadsheet fatigue.
Whether you need to meet your first reporting deadline or want to scale up your audit readiness, the DORA Register Handler gets you there—efficiently, accurately, and without the guesswork.
