What Is NIS2? – Compliance and Policies

Protecting vital infrastructure and digital services has never been more crucial in the increasingly connected world of today. The strategies and laws designed to lower these risks must change in parallel with the complexity of cyberthreats. The NIS2 Directive from the European Union enhances cybersecurity by introducing legal provisions that improve defenses in a number of sectors. Let’s explore the topic in more detail.

What is NIS2?

The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, the two EU co-legislators, signed the Network & Information Security Directive (NIS2) on December 14, 2022. Member states have time until October 17, 2024, to implement their provisions into national law.

The Directive seeks to strengthen cybersecurity capabilities throughout the European Union to contribute to its security and the effective functioning of its economy and society. It reduces threats to networks and information systems used to deliver critical services in important sectors and guarantees the continuity of such services in the event of an incident. It lays out strict guidelines for public and commercial entities to enhance the cybersecurity posture of vital industries throughout the European Union, ensuring a high standard of cybersecurity throughout the Union.

On December 14, 2022, NIS2 was officially approved by the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, and the EU co-legislators. The deadline for Member States to enact its provisions into national law is October 17, 2024.

With the basics of NIS2 covered, let’s explore how this directive impacts organizations and the changes it necessitates.

Impact on Organizations

Organizations must improve their cybersecurity posture to comply with the new criteria, which presents both opportunities and difficulties under the NIS2 Directive. This has an impact on numerous aspects of how companies run and handle their security. The following are the main points of impact:

• Operational Changes: To comply with the directive’s criteria, businesses will have to implement new practices and technological advancements, which could result in major adjustments to their operational methods.
• Increased Accountability: Senior management is held more accountable under the NIS2 directive, and they are responsible for maintaining compliance and integrating cybersecurity into the organizational plan.
• Risk of Penalties: Organizations must follow NIS2 as a top priority because non-compliance can result in significant fines.
• Enhanced Security: Although the directive presents difficulties, it also helps enterprises by promoting more robust cybersecurity procedures that can guard against the growing number of cyberthreats and lower the likelihood of major incidents.

Addressing these challenges requires the right support. Here’s how EC-Council can assist in meeting NIS2 compliance requirements effectively.

How can EC-Council help you with your NIS2 compliance?

The implementation of appropriate and proportional technical, operational, and organizational measures to safeguard their networks, information systems, and physical infrastructure against incidents is a requirement for essential entities to comply with NIS2.

The certificates offered by EC-Council are designed for a range of positions, from entry-level to senior leadership, and are in line with NIS2 baseline measurements. This guarantees that staff members acquire the skills required for compliance. In addition to strengthening cybersecurity and assisting firms in avoiding non-compliance penalties, these certificates prepare organizations to perform vital responsibilities, including risk analysis, incident management, and business continuity planning, all of which are essential components of NIS2 compliance.

The following table helps companies select the right certifications depending on staff positions and expertise by mapping EC-Council’s certifications to NIS2.

To fully understand how to align with NIS2, let’s break down the specific requirements organizations need to meet.

Requirements for Compliance with NIS2

Organizations adhering to NIS2 are required to follow its guidelines; noncompliance may result in harsh consequences, such as hefty fines and remedial measures. Therefore, in order to comply, organizations need to meet a number of requirements, such as:

• Implementing Security Measures: For organizations to manage cybersecurity risks, appropriate organizational and technical measures must be implemented. The findings of risk assessments should serve as the foundation for these actions, which should be updated often to account for emerging threats.
• Reporting Incidents: Depending on how serious the cyber event is, organizations should notify the appropriate authorities within a certain amount of time. The incident, its consequences, and the corrective measures taken to address it must all be thoroughly described in the report.
• Ensuring Supply Chain Security: Supplier businesses must also evaluate the cybersecurity policies of their vendors and make sure that outside vendors adhere to the same strict guidelines. This means conducting regular audits of supplier security assessments and procedures.
• Responsibility and Accountability: When it comes to overseeing cybersecurity initiatives within the organization, top management should be at the forefront. This means creating separate information security functions and allocating enough funds to counter threats.
• Education and Sensitization: Employers must train employees on cybercrime so they can mitigate and defend themselves against the most recent threats.

While NIS2 has broad implications, not all entities are impacted equally. Let’s identify the types of organizations it applies to.

What organizations must comply with NIS2?

Operators of vital services in the energy, transportation, banking, financial market, infrastructure, healthcare, and digital infrastructure sectors are subject to the duties resulting from the NIS2 directive. The two primary categories of entities are essential entities and important entities.

Examples of essential entities are:

• Energy (Electricity, District Heating and Cooling, Oil, Gas, and Hydrogen)
• Transport (Air, Rail, Water, and Road)
• Banking and Financial Market Infrastructure
• Healthcare and Production of Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices
• Drinking Water and Waste Water
• Digital Infrastructure, Internet Exchange Nodes, DNS Service Providers, Internet Top-Level Domain (TLD) Registries
• Cloud Computing Service Providers, Data Center Service Providers, Content Delivery Networks
• Providers of Trust-Building Services and Public Electronic Communications Networks and Electronic Communications Services
• Public Administration
• Universities

Examples of important entities are:

• Postal and Courier Services
• Waste Management
• Chemical Manufacturing
• Foodstuffs
• Production of Other Medical Devices, Computers and Electronics, Machinery and Motor Vehicles
• Digital Providers (Internet Marketplaces, Internet Search Engines and Social Network Service Platforms)

Meeting compliance starts with understanding your obligations. Here’s a look at the basic steps organizations need to take.

Basic NIS2 Obligations for Companies and Organizations

Information security management procedures and technological and organizational measures must be implemented, secured, and documented by businesses and organizations under NIS2. This means taking the right technical, organizational, and educational steps and writing them down.

Technical Measures

• Protect your software, apps, and information systems.
• Ensure the safety of the network and other technical IT infrastructure.
• Protect the technical IT infrastructure physically.
• Ensure the reliability of internal networks and information systems.
• Add cyber threat detection and assessment.
• Use data protection techniques like encryption, backup, and others.
• Ensure technical steps to improve information and network security.

Process, Management and Organizational Measures

• Implement internal information security procedures into action.
• To guarantee service continuity and the proper functioning of its applications and information system.
• Keep track of and report any security event that significantly affects how the company operates.
• Conduct risk assessment and put a risk management framework in place.
• Increase network and information security by putting in place suitable and sufficient organizational security measures.

Measures in Documentation and Training of Workers

• Maintain security records, such as a Security Policy.
• Make sure that staff members and users receive information security training.
• Documentation proving NIS2 compliance should be provided.

As the deadline approaches, proactive steps are essential. Let’s explore how organizations can prepare for NIS2 compliance.

Preparing for NIS2 Compliance

Organizations must be proactive in adhering to the NIS2 Directive as the regulatory focus on cybersecurity keeps increasing. The crucial measures to help organizations manage the process are listed below:

• Execute a Risk Assesment: To find potential cybersecurity threats and weaknesses, begin by conducting a thorough risk analysis. An analysis of internal security procedures and a thorough inspection of the entire supply chain should be part of the evaluation.
• Implement Security Measures: Appropriate organizational and technical steps should be made to manage cybersecurity risks based on the outcome of the risk assessment. Adopting new technology and putting best practices into practice could all be part of this.
• Establish an Incident Response Strategy: Developing a thorough incident response plan that outlines the necessary steps to take in the event of a cybersecurity issue is essential. Procedures for reporting occurrences to the appropriate authorities and minimizing the negative consequences should be part of this.
• Correspond with Suppliers: Work together with vendors to make sure they follow the same strict cybersecurity guidelines. This could include routine evaluations and audits of the security practices used by the suppliers.
• Provide Training and Awareness: Provide regular cyber security training to all employees, assisting them in comprehending the risks posed by current attacks and the best ways to prevent them.

Conclusion

An important step in hardening the European Union’s cybersecurity architecture and guaranteeing the resilience of vital infrastructure against escalating cyberthreats is the NIS2 Directive. Organizations benefit strategically from compliance since it reduces risks and improves operational security. Businesses must take immediate action to comply with NIS2 regulations in order to protect their operations and help create a more secure digital environment as the October 2024 deadline comes closer.

Prepare for NIS2 compliance and safeguard critical infrastructure with Edureka’s CEH v13 Exam Training. This program offers hands-on learning in ethical hacking, empowering you with the skills to tackle modern cyber threats and ensure compliance.