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 EU financial entities will never be formally designated for full TLPT — that bar is generally reserved for large, systemically important institutions. 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
DORA applies directly across the EU as a Regulation, not a Directive, so there is no national transposition step to wait on — it already binds your entity regardless of member state. 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
Our methodology
- Scoping & rules of engagement. We agree objectives, targets and boundaries for your dora tlpt — threat-led penetration testing, so testing is safe, authorized and focused on what matters to your business.
- Reconnaissance & mapping. We enumerate the full attack surface in scope, building a complete picture before any exploitation begins.
- Manual exploitation. Our senior testers chain vulnerabilities by hand — going far beyond automated scanners — to prove real, demonstrable impact.
- Analysis & reporting. Every finding is triaged, risk-rated with CVSS and written up with a copy-paste reproduction and clear remediation.
- Remediation support & free retest. We support your team through the fixes and retest the remediated issues to confirm they are genuinely 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
What’s included in your report
Every dora tlpt — threat-led penetration testing engagement concludes with a comprehensive, board-ready report and a working session to walk your team through it. Your report includes:
- An executive summary with overall risk posture for non-technical stakeholders
- Detailed technical findings, each with a step-by-step, copy-paste reproduction
- CVSS v3.1 severity ratings and business-impact context for every issue
- Prioritized, actionable remediation guidance your engineers can apply directly
- A complimentary retest to confirm fixes and update finding status
- A formal attestation letter for customers, auditors and compliance programs
Standards & frameworks
DORA (EU 2022/2554), Article 26
TIBER-EU Framework
MITRE ATT&CK
Outcomes you can expect
After your dora tlpt — threat-led penetration testing, you will have clear, evidence-based visibility into your real security risk — not a scanner’s guesswork. You will know exactly which weaknesses an attacker could exploit, what the business impact would be, and the precise steps to fix them in priority order. Teams use our findings to close critical gaps, satisfy customer and regulator security requirements, and demonstrate due diligence to their board. With a complimentary retest included, you also get documented proof that the issues are genuinely resolved.
Engagement details & logistics
Every dora tlpt — threat-led penetration testing starts with a short, no-obligation scoping call to understand your goals, environment and constraints, followed by a fixed-price proposal and a clear statement of work. Most engagements are delivered fully remotely, with on-site work arranged where it genuinely adds value. Throughout testing we maintain an agreed communication cadence and escalate any critical, high-impact finding to you immediately rather than waiting for the final report. All work is performed under a signed NDA with strict data-handling controls, using safe, non-disruptive techniques and carefully coordinated rules of engagement to protect your production systems. On completion you receive your report and a walkthrough session, followed by a complimentary retest once your fixes are in place. Typical engagements are booked one to three weeks in advance, and urgent or pre-deadline testing can often be accommodated — just ask at hi@agentoffense.com.
Why organizations choose AgentOffense
Our dora tlpt — threat-led penetration testing is delivered by senior offensive-security engineers who test the way real attackers do — manually, creatively and with a relentless focus on proving genuine, demonstrable impact. Here is what sets our engagements apart:
- Manual, exploit-driven testing that chains vulnerabilities the way a real attacker would, going far beyond what automated scanners can find.
- Reproducible proof for every finding, with copy-paste reproduction steps your engineers can follow and independently verify.
- Honest severity calibration so you invest in fixing what genuinely matters and avoid wasting effort on false positives and noise.
- Clear, business-focused reporting that speaks to engineers and executives alike, tying every issue to real-world impact.
- A complimentary retest included, so you get documented proof that your fixes actually close the attack path.
- Responsible, collaborative delivery with a named point of contact and secure handling of all data throughout the engagement.
Explore related services
DORA TLPT — Threat-Led Penetration Testing is frequently scoped alongside our other offensive-security services for broader coverage. Explore related engagements that complement it:
How much does DORA TLPT — Threat-Led Penetration Testing cost?
Every dora tlpt — threat-led penetration testing is scoped and priced individually, so you pay for exactly 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 of your dora tlpt — threat-led penetration testing depends on the size and complexity of the target and the depth of testing required, 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 financial entities 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.