On 12 December 2025, the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI; Bundesministerium für Inneres), the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA), and the Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB) signed a comprehensive memorandum of understanding (MoU) for strengthening cybersecurity in Austria. Provisions in the Network and Information Security Directive (NIS2 Directive), especially Article 13 (4) and (5), are the rationale behind the MoU. They set out a close and structured cooperation between the NIS authority, within the BMI and the competent authorities in the financial sector for the enforcement of DORA.
The existing informal cooperation between the FMA, OeNB and the NIS authority has now been officially formalised by the MoU, and has a permanent binding character.
The Federal Minister of the Interior, Gerhard Karner, emphasised: “Close cooperation between authorities is essential for sustainably strengthening cybersecurity in Austria. Coordinated cooperation between the NIS Authority, the Oesterreichische Nationalbank and the Austrian Financial Market Authority is an important step towards ensuring a common and effective level of security within the digital space.”
Statements by the FMA and OeNB
FMA Executive Director Mariana Kühnel highlighted: “The Memorandum of Understanding between the BMI, OeNB, and the FMA is far more than just a formal act. It is a clear commitment to a greater level of cooperation – across our respective organisational boundaries, with the objective of sustainably strengthening the cyber resilience of the entire financial market and critical infrastructure.”
OeNB Director Thomas Steiner stressed: “Coordinated inter-institutional responses are necessary in an environment of dynamically growing cyber threats and increasingly interconnected financial systems. This cooperation is an important step for the joint early detection and limiting of risks.”
Focuses of the Cooperation
The common objectives and focuses of the cooperation support all tasks in the field of cybersecurity. This partnership is intended to strengthen the effective cooperation and exchange of information between the authorities and the financial sector and with it cybersecurity.
The cooperation primarily focuses on national and European programmes and projects, development of coordinated operational initiatives, as well as on education, training and professional development events in the field of cybersecurity.
In addition cooperation on specific issues is intended to support the exchange of information on major ICT-related incidents and cyber threats and to involve the financial sector in the cybersecurity strategy. Synergies should result from know-how transfer, exchanging expertise, and through project partnerships.
Enquiries should be addressed to:
BMI
Harald Sörös (Press Spokesperson)
Telephone: +43 1 53126 901133
E-Mail: [email protected]
FMA
Boris Gröndahl (Media Spokesperson)
Telefon: +43 (1) 249 59-6010
Mobil: +43 676 8824 9995
E-Mail: [email protected]