Cybersecurity is an important aspect of the digital well-being of organisations and individuals. In this scenario, having the right cyber security law will help combat the potential threats that lurk in cyberspace. With a stringent cyber security law, organisations will be better able to manage their data online. The NIS2 Directive is said to affect the broader spectrum of critical infrastructure organisations across different sectors. Its main purpose is to enhance cyber security. Want to know more? Read on!
What is the NIS2 Directive?
Folks, before we give you a brief detail about the NIS2 Directive, let me tell you about it first. The NIS2 Directive provides EU-wide legislation on cybersecurity. It is an update to the previous Network and Security Directive) and its primary objective is to create a common network of cyber security across the European Union of member states. Just like the previous cyber security law, this update has its sole focus on enhancing the digital security infrastructure across the EU Member States and tackling the onslaught of cyber attacks.
Now that you have a good understanding of the NIS2 Directive, Head to the next section of the article to learn about the NIS2 compliance background
What is the NIS2 Directive Compliance Background?
Cyber attacks such as ransomware and data breaches have been increasing, creating panic in businesses across the EU. Not only that it is also creating a negative impact on organisations and businesses. As per a report on the threat landscape, there is a warning that the new form of phishing and zero-day exploits will be used effectively in combating these digital security threat attacks across organisations in the EU.
Hence, with this wide scope of application, the NIS2 Directive aims to improve cybersecurity attacks across the “essential and important entities” in critical areas like energy, transport, retail, banking, and so on. Not only this, but the directive will also cover the security of supply chain and service vendors across borders.
However, there are certain cyber security measures that are required by this cyber security law. Head to the next section of the article to learn more
What are the Cybersecurity Measures Required by the NIS2 Directive?
Folks, in this section we will be jotting down the important cyber security measures which are a necessity for the NIS2 directive to be implemented. As per the law, there is an emphasis on the “appropriate and proportionate technical and organisational measures.” These measures will require the following:
Policies and procedures that assess the effectiveness of cybersecurity risk management, Use of cryptography and encryption, Use of multi-factor authentication, Robust supply chain security, Extensive network security, Vulnerability handling and disclosure, Risk analysis and information security policies, Thorough incident handling, Business continuity and crisis management
Wondering how this new cyber security law will affect your organisation? Head to the next section of the article to know more.
How will NIS2 Affect Organisations?
For those who are not yet familiar with the NIS2 cyber security law, this is an updated cyber security law that will be used by any company in the EU. This can include any company from private to public market across the internal market operations. It is supposed to be fulfilling the important functions of the economy and the society as a whole.
The directive will splitting the covered entities into types, These are essential entities (EE) and important Entities (IE). The difference between these two classes will be regarding compliance which the essential entities are subject to more stringent regulatory requirements for monitoring compliance, incident reporting obligations, and enforcement measures across information systems. Some examples of essential entities are- Chemical production and processing, Food, Digital providers, Postal and courier services, and Waste management.
How are the Old NIS Directive and New NIS2 Directive Different?
If you are an organisation operating in the EU or are a cyber security expert looking to know this difference, then you need to read this section till the end. The old NIS directive specified cybersecurity law, which was only for critical infrastructure. However, it did manage to introduce the same level of cybersecurity across all the Member States which has resulted in a fragmented approach. However, the new NIS2 directive will operate in a much wider array of industries, which we will refer to as the sectors. The new update will be much better compliant, have better cooperation between the Member states and will also have new timelines for reporting incidents, will be more focussed on supply chains, the responsibility of the top management of entities, stricter penalties, etc.
Importance of NIS New Update
If you have advanced to this section of the article, then you probably will be wondering about the importance of this new update. The new update will be setting very strict cybersecurity measures for a large number of companies in the European Union. It is estimated that more than 100,000 companies in the European Union will have to become NIS 2 compliant.
However, the new update has a limitation, which is that it is not applicable to as many companies as the EU GDPR. However, it will certainly set a standard for cyber security law in the EU and non-EU countries. It will be a very similar scenario that has already happened in non-EU countries with privacy regulations that are very similar to the EU GDPR.
Conclusion
The NIS2 directive will be setting a new standard for the evolution of cybersecurity law in the world. With its wide array of applications and stringent measures, this law will bring a much-needed change in the cyber security realm. The only limitation is its non-operability in non-EU countries. However, with more operations scalability and success, the new update of the NIS directive will become the de facto standard across the world. That’s all, folks. I hope the article will help you to get all the information you need
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