Technology Audit : How to Assess Your Company’s Digital Resilience in 2025 ?

Why is technology audit crucial for banks in 2025?

In 2025, banks find themselves at a digital crossroads where technological resilience is no longer an option but a strategic necessity. Faced with increased competition, ever-stricter regulations, and ubiquitous digitalization, financial institutions must continuously evaluate the strength of their digital infrastructure. But how can you know if your bank is truly prepared to face today’s technological challenges?

This article takes an in-depth look at the critical issues surrounding technology audits in the banking sector. It answers today’s pressing questions: Is your digital infrastructure resilient enough to withstand growing cyberthreats? Does your technology audit strategy integrate the latest advances in artificial intelligence and blockchain? And how can you effectively assess the performance of your technology partners and third-party vendors?

The article provides a detailed analysis of these challenges and offers practical recommendations to strengthen banks’ digital resilience in 2025.

1. Technology Audit: A Strategic Lever for Digital Resilience

A technology audit goes beyond simply assessing IT systems. It is a holistic analysis of infrastructure, processes, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance. In 2025, such an audit becomes a strategic tool to anticipate risks and identify innovation levers.

Growth of the cybersecurity market: According to Capgemini, the sector recorded an annual growth of 12% in 2024, with an 11% increase in employment in this field.

68% of banks experienced at least one successful cyberattack in 2024, up from 60% in 2023 (IBM X-Force, 2024).”

43% of security incidents in the financial sector are related to third parties or external vendors (Deloitte, 2024).

72% of financial institutions plan to increase their cybersecurity budget by more than 10% in 2025 (Capgemini, 2024)

Adoption of advanced technologies: PwC highlights that leading companies integrate AI- and automation-based solutions to reinforce their digital resilience.

A technology audit helps identify vulnerabilities and opportunities for improvement. A proactive approach is recommended by integrating advanced analytical tools and ongoing technology watch to ensure successful digital transformation.

2. The Importance of the Technology Audit in 2025

Digital resilience directly determines an organisation’s ability to innovate, secure its data, and remain compliant with regulatory requirements. Deloitte points out that in 2025, “82% of companies consider the technology audit no longer as a mere control but as a strategic lever for digital decision-making.”

The stakes are even higher as IT infrastructures become more complex: AI integration, hybrid cloud migration, proliferation of connected devices, and cyberthreats targeting both small and large enterprises.

This means that the technology audit must be embedded in the overall risk and innovation management strategy. It is not a one-off exercise but a continuous framework combining in-depth technical evaluation with an understanding of business objectives. This ensures that resources are channelled towards strategic priorities, maximising the efficiency of IT investments.

To strengthen this resilience, it is crucial to focus on digital operational resilience.

3. Digital Operational Resilience: A Strategic Priority

The growing reliance on digital technologies exposes banks to major operational risks. According to Capgemini, digital operational resilience is now an absolute priority for banks due to increasing cyberthreats and the complexity of technology infrastructures.

To assess the robustness of your infrastructure, it is essential to:

Map critical systems: Identify applications and services essential to your operations.

Test resilience: Conduct incident simulations to evaluate team responsiveness and system robustness.

Analyse vulnerabilities: Use audit tools to detect potential weaknesses in your architecture.

Resilience tests, including stress tests and incident simulations, can reduce the Mean Time to Recovery (MTTR) by 20–35%, Deloitte, 2024.

We recommend adopting a proactive approach by conducting regular penetration tests to identify weak points, ensuring ongoing team training in cybersecurity best practices, and working closely with technology partners to maintain constant infrastructure monitoring.

Beyond emerging technologies, the solidity of IT infrastructure and architecture remains a fundamental pillar for a resilient bank.

4. Regulatory Compliance: Anticipating DORA Requirements

The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) requires financial institutions to strengthen their digital resilience. Microsoft is actively engaged in helping financial services comply with these new regulations.

To ensure compliance :

Evaluate your internal processes: Make sure they meet DORA’s ICT risk management requirements.

Implement suitable solutions: Use compliance tools to automate reporting and audits.

Collaborate with experts: Engage specialised consultants to guide you through implementing the necessary measures.

We offer customised compliance audits to assess your level of preparedness, training on DORA requirements for your teams, and integration of technology solutions enabling continuous compliance.

5. Integrating AI and Blockchain: Towards an Intelligent Bank

The adoption of artificial intelligence and blockchain is transforming traditional banking models. PwC explores how these technologies are redefining financial services.

To effectively integrate these technologies:

Identify relevant use cases: Begin by mapping critical banking processes and pinpointing areas where AI or blockchain can create the greatest value. For AI, this could include real-time fraud detection, predictive credit scoring, customer behavior analysis, or automating regulatory reporting. For blockchain, consider applications such as smart contract management, cross-border payments, and secure recordkeeping. Prioritize initiatives that deliver measurable business impact, reduce operational risks, or enhance customer experience.

Evaluate vendors: Selecting the right technology partner is crucial. Focus on providers with proven expertise in financial services, a track record of successful implementations, and the ability to scale solutions as needs grow. Assess vendor capabilities in compliance, cybersecurity, and integration with existing banking systems. Additionally, consider their support for continuous innovation, model monitoring for AI, and governance in blockchain networks.

Ensure security: Security must be embedded from the outset. Implement robust protocols including end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication, secure key management for blockchain, and continuous monitoring of AI models to detect anomalies or bias. Ensure that solutions comply with GDPR, DORA, and other relevant regulations, protecting both sensitive customer data and institutional integrity.

We advise carrying out Proofs of Concept (PoC) to test solution effectiveness, adopting an agile approach to gradually integrate these technologies, and continuously monitoring regulatory and technological developments to stay ahead.

6. Architecture, Infrastructure & Cloud: Measuring Technical Robustness

According to a PwC report (March 2025), 58% of financial institutions believe their ICT vendors have significant areas for improvement to ensure DORA compliance.

In the same study, 86% of companies implemented ICT risk taxonomies, but only 39% developed a methodology to quantify these risks.

To judge the robustness of your architecture and infrastructure, you should examine several dimensions:

Software and infrastructure topology*

Network segmentation: clear separation of environments (production, test, development), VLAN segmentation, DMZ, etc.

Redundancy: geographic redundancy (multi-region), database replication, automatic failover.

Chassis and servers: high-availability hardware, virtualised or containerised infrastructure with orchestrators (Kubernetes, etc.), resilient storage.

Cloud & hybrid, multi-cloud

Cloud SLA verification: uptime, RPO/RTO for disaster recovery.

Cloud security: identity and access management (IAM), encryption in transit and at rest, compliance requirements (e.g. end-to-end encryption).

Infrastructure as Code (IaC): versioning, testing, code reviews, security analyses of IaC definitions to avoid dangerous configurations (e.g. overly permissive IAM, open storage).

Performance, scalability & observability

Establish clear metrics: latency, response time, throughput, error rates, resource usage (CPU, memory, I/O).

Centralised monitoring and logs (aggregation, storage, processing): use APM (Application Performance Monitoring), SIEM (Security Information and Event Management).

Conduct stress and load testing to detect bottlenecks before they appear in production.

7. Governance, Data & Compliance

Still in PwC’s 2025 report : only 12% of financial institutions have a well-designed data management strategy.

In the same study, 50% of financial sector organisations in Luxembourg achieve a high level of maturity in data governance and privacy compliance.

To establish governance:

Data governance & data quality

Data inventory: know what data you hold, where it is located, and its sensitivity.

Lines of responsibility: who owns the data, who consumes it, who ensures its protection.

Data lifecycle policies (archiving, deletion, anonymisation) to mitigate risks.

Data management & data privacy

Compliance with GDPR, national laws, and DORA requirements regarding critical data and information.

Privacy by Design/Default, encryption, pseudonymisation, anonymisation as needed.

Audit of processes & internal controls

ITGC (IT General Controls): controls over access, changes, backups/restores, environment segregation.

Application controls: input/output validation, transaction integrity, audit logs.

Third-party management & vendor governance

Verification of vendors’ security policies, third-party audits, security and resilience SLA clauses.

Continuous monitoring of third-party compliance (due diligence, audits, periodic assessments).

We recommend building a data roadmap prioritising high-value use cases while relying on a solid foundation of governance and data quality, deploying governance tools such as catalogues, lineage, classification and automatic masking/anonymisation, and involving top management and business leaders to align data governance with the company’s overall strategy.

Effective governance and data mastery pave the way for a more precise and measurable technology audit thanks to adapted KPIs.

8. Audit Methodologies and KPIs

Modern audit methodologies include:

Risk-based auditing: prioritising what most exposes to loss, disruption, reputation, or compliance risk.

Continuous auditing / continuous monitoring: instead of one-off audits, monitor certain technical or security KPIs in real time.

Agile audit for new technologies / PoCs: iterate and adapt.

Potential domains and KPIs for a banking technology audit :

Cybersecurity

Incident detection rate

Mean time to incident response

Percentage of patches applied within regulatory deadlines

Compliance & Regulation

Number of compliance gaps identified per audit

Average time to remediation after a gap is detected

Percentage of processes aligned with Basel III / PSD2 requirements

IT Infrastructure

Average availability of critical systems (%)

Mean time to recovery after an outage (MTTR)

Automation rate of operational processes

Data Management

Quality/integrity rate of critical data

Volume of encrypted vs unencrypted data

GDPR / DORA compliance rate on data flows

Innovation & Digital Transformation

Percentage of AI/RPA projects successfully deployed

Average time-to-market

Measured ROI on strategic digital projects

User Experience (customers & employees)

Internal IT satisfaction score

Adoption rate of new digital tools

Availability rate of customer digital channels

In 2025, especially in the banking sector, a technology audit is more than a simple control: it is a strategic instrument to measure, anticipate, and improve digital resilience. By integrating resilient architecture, advanced cybersecurity, governance and compliance, and emerging technologies (AI, blockchain), banks can not only protect themselves from risks but also extract value.

To know if your banking organisation is ready for 2025, it must meet several criteria: resilient architecture, mature security posture, active (not merely reactive) regulatory compliance, well-established data governance, and the ability to integrate innovations without compromising security or reliability.

Final Recommendations & Tips

Adopt a Continuous Audit Approach Move away from one-off assessments to an ongoing audit lifecycle that blends real-time monitoring, automated testing, and scheduled reviews. This approach allows risks to be detected and remediated as they emerge, rather than after the fact. For example, integrate continuous compliance dashboards, security information and event management (SIEM) systems, and automated control testing to maintain up-to-date visibility of your entire digital environment.

Invest in Internal Skills and Capabilities Develop a robust talent base across cybersecurity, data science, IT audit, DevSecOps, and risk analytics. This means not only hiring specialists but also reskilling existing staff through certifications (CISA, CISSP, CISM, AWS/Azure Security, etc.) and cross-functional training. A strong internal skill pool reduces dependency on third parties, accelerates decision-making, and fosters a culture of continuous improvement in digital resilience.

Allocate Resources for Emerging Technologies Under Strong Governance Dedicate budgets and time for exploring and implementing AI, RPA, blockchain, advanced analytics and cloud innovations, but do so within a clear governance framework. Establish steering committees to prioritise high-value use cases, set risk appetite thresholds, and enforce data protection and ethical AI standards. This ensures innovation does not compromise security, compliance, or operational stability.

Establish a Comprehensive Operational Resilience Plan Design an enterprise-wide resilience strategy that goes beyond business continuity to incorporate DORA requirements, cyber-stress tests, incident simulations, and crisis communication protocols. This plan should identify critical services, define acceptable recovery times (RTO/RPO), and include playbooks for coordinated responses to technology disruptions, whether caused by cyberattacks, third-party failures or natural disasters.

Equip Yourself with Modern Audit and Governance Platforms Leverage cutting-edge tools to automate technical audits, vulnerability scanning, configuration management, data governance and real-time infrastructure monitoring. Platforms supporting Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) validation, cloud security posture management (CSPM), and automated evidence gathering can drastically reduce audit fatigue, increase accuracy, and accelerate remediation cycles. Pair these with dashboards and KPI tracking to give executives clear, measurable insights into digital resilience progress.

Are you in finance, banking, or insurance and want to be sure your digital infrastructure is ready for 2025?

Nexfing is your partner of excellence for: