Regulated industries

The UAE managed IT partner for regulated firms.

Firms in the DIFC and ADGM answer to regulators, auditors and clients. Cre8 IT runs the IT and security controls they expect, keeps the evidence, and is itself certified to ISO 27001:2022.

Who this is for

Built for firms that answer to a regulator

Financial and professional firms in the free zones have the same day-to-day IT needs as anyone, plus a regulator who will ask how it is run.

Asset and wealth managers

Strong access control, client data protection and audit-ready records for investment managers, wealth managers and funds.

Advisory, brokerage and corporate finance

Smaller regulated firms that need a complete IT function without building a team, and evidence they can show quickly.

Fintech and payments

Fast-growing firms that must scale securely, manage many providers and meet incident reporting deadlines.

Insurance and intermediaries

Firms handling sensitive client and claims data that clients and partners expect to see evidence about.

Family offices and holding companies

Private groups with sensitive data, reputational risk and lean teams.

Legal, audit and professional services

Firms in the free zones that hold confidential client information and receive security questionnaires.

Two regulators, two rulebooks

DIFC and ADGM at a glance

The goals are similar and the details differ. Firms with a presence in both need to know where.

	DIFC (DFSA)	ADGM (FSRA)
Regulator	Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA)	Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA)
Cyber rules	GEN 5.5 Cyber risk management	GEN 3.5 Cyber risk management, in force since 31 January 2026
Material incident notice to the regulator	As soon as reasonably practicable, within 72 hours at the latest	Immediately, within 24 hours at the latest
Outsourcing and IT providers	GEN 5.3.21 outsourcing, plus GEN 5.5 expectations for ICT providers	Explicit rules on due diligence, contract terms and oversight of ICT providers
Data protection law	DIFC Data Protection Law No. 5 of 2020	ADGM Data Protection Regulations 2021
Personal data breach notice	To the Commissioner as soon as practicable	To the Commissioner without undue delay and, where feasible, within 72 hours

Summary for orientation, checked against the regulators’ published text on 19 September 2026. Confirm the current wording in the Rulebooks. This is not legal advice.

DIFC firms

Managed IT and cyber security built around DFSA GEN 5.5 and the outsourcing rules.

ADGM firms

Managed IT and cyber security built around the FSRA’s cyber rules in force since 31 January 2026.

What we do

Six things regulated firms need from an IT partner

A regulator-ready baseline

Identity, devices, patching, backup and monitoring configured to the expectations in DFSA GEN 5.5 and the FSRA’s cyber rules.

Microsoft 365 governance

Conditional Access, managed devices, controlled sharing, labels, retention and logging that you can evidence.

Recognised frameworks

Preparation and evidence for ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials, mapped to what your regulator expects.

Audit readiness

A standing evidence pack, regular reports and a mock audit, so requests are answered in minutes.

Vendor and outsourcing oversight

A provider register, tiering, due diligence and contract terms that give you the oversight regulators expect.

Incident readiness

A written, exercised plan, clear roles and a route to the regulator’s deadline, with optional 24/7 monitoring through SOC as a Service.

Why Cre8 IT

Certified, experienced and open to scrutiny

Dubai-born, supporting businesses across the UAE, KSA and the UK since 2012. We support DFSA and FSRA regulated firms, including an ADGM-based advisory and investment firm.

Regulated firms should ask hard questions of their IT provider. Ask for our certificate and its scope, how we vet and supervise engineers, and how we control privileged access. We expect the questions and answer them.

Our credentials

ISO 27001:2022

Information security management

ISO 9001

Quality management

Microsoft Partner

Certified partner

Insights

Read the guides

Sourced to the regulators’ own text and dated, so you know how current they are.

DFSA and DIFC

DFSA cyber and IT requirements: what DIFC firms need to evidence

A plain-English guide to the DFSA’s cyber risk management rules (GEN 5.5), its outsourcing expectations (GEN 5.3.21) and the evidence a DIFC firm should be able to show.

6 min read · Reviewed 19 September 2026

Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 governance for regulated firms: a practical baseline

How to govern Microsoft 365 in a DFSA- or FSRA-regulated firm: identity, devices, data, logging and licences, with a 30-day order of work.

4 min read · Reviewed 19 September 2026

Cyber Essentials

Cyber Essentials for UAE firms: what it is and when it is worth it

What Cyber Essentials covers, what changed in April 2026, whether it matters for DIFC and ADGM firms, and how it compares with ISO 27001 and the regulators’ own rules.

4 min read · Reviewed 19 September 2026

ISO 27001

ISO 27001 for financial firms: how it supports DFSA and FSRA expectations

What ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certifies, how its controls map to DFSA and FSRA cyber expectations, and how to read a supplier’s certificate.

4 min read · Reviewed 19 September 2026

Audit readiness

IT audit readiness for DIFC and ADGM firms: an evidence-first checklist

How to be ready when a regulator, auditor or client asks for proof of your IT and security controls: the evidence pack, a mock audit and a six-week plan.

3 min read · Reviewed 19 September 2026

Vendor management

IT vendor and outsourcing management for DFSA and FSRA firms

How to manage IT providers when you are regulated in DIFC or ADGM: a register, tiering, due diligence, contract terms and ongoing oversight.

4 min read · Reviewed 19 September 2026

FAQ

Common questions from regulated firms

What is a managed service provider for regulated firms?

A managed service provider (MSP) runs a firm’s IT and security as an ongoing service. For a regulated firm it should also produce the evidence regulators, auditors and clients expect. Because you remain responsible for outsourced services, contracts, reporting and certifications matter as much as response times.

Does using Cre8 IT make us compliant?

No provider can make you compliant. Regulated firms remain responsible for their obligations. We run and evidence the technical controls, help you prepare for reviews, and expect you to oversee us as you would any material provider.

Do we need separate IT arrangements for DIFC and ADGM entities?

Not necessarily. One provider and one security baseline can serve both. Reporting deadlines, rulebook references and data protection laws differ, though, so your evidence and incident procedures should reflect each regulator.

Talk to a specialist about your obligations

Tell us about your firm and your regulator, and we will suggest a practical first step, whether that is a gap assessment or ongoing support.