NIS 2 (Network and Information Security 2 Directive)

NIS 2, the Network and Information Security 2 Directive, is an EU-wide legislation to bolster cybersecurity across all member states. It replaces the original NIS Directive and introduces stricter requirements and penalties to address the evolving cyber threat landscape.

Key Objectives of NIS 2:

• Enhanced Cyber Resilience: NIS 2 mandates essential entities to implement robust cybersecurity measures, including risk management, incident reporting, and security audits.

• Consistent Security Standards: It establishes a harmonized framework for cybersecurity across different sectors and member states, ensuring a higher level of protection across the EU.

• Improved Incident Reporting: NIS 2 strengthens incident reporting obligations to facilitate timely information sharing and coordinated response to cyber threats.

• More Vigorous Enforcement: It introduces more severe penalties for non-compliance to encourage organizations to take cybersecurity seriously.

Penalties for Non-Compliance:

NIS 2 introduces significant penalties for non-compliance, including:

• Administrative Fines: Up to €10 million or 2% of the total worldwide annual turnover of the preceding financial year, whichever is higher.

• Binding Instructions: National authorities can issue binding instructions to rectify non-compliance.

• Temporary Bans: In severe cases, temporary bans on operations or the provision of services may be imposed.

• Public Naming and Shaming: Non-compliant organizations may be publicly named to create additional pressure for compliance.

EU Member States:

All 27 EU member states are bound by NIS 2:

• Austria  

• Belgium  

• Bulgaria  

• Croatia  

• Cyprus

• Czech Republic  

• Denmark  

• Estonia  

• Finland  

• France  

• Germany  

• Greece  

• Hungary  

• Ireland  

• Italy  

• Latvia  

• Lithuania

• Luxembourg  

• Malta

• Netherlands  

• Poland  

• Portugal  

• Romania  

• Slovakia  

• Slovenia  

• Spain

• Sweden  

Auditing for Compliance:

Compliance with NIS 2 is primarily audited and enforced by national competent authorities designated by each member state. These authorities are responsible for overseeing the implementation of NIS 2, conducting audits, and imposing penalties for non-compliance. The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) also supports implementing and coordinating NIS 2 across the EU.  

NIS 2 represents a significant step in strengthening cybersecurity across the European Union. By setting stricter requirements, improving incident reporting, and imposing harsher penalties for non-compliance, it aims to create a more secure digital environment for businesses and citizens alike.

ThreatNG's comprehensive capabilities can significantly aid EU member states and auditors in complying with NIS 2, addressing several critical aspects of the directive:

Enhanced Cyber Resilience:

• Continuous Monitoring: ThreatNG's continuous monitoring of the external attack surface, including web applications, subdomains, and cloud services, helps identify vulnerabilities and misconfigurations that attackers could exploit.

• Superior Discovery and Assessment: By assessing susceptibility to various threats, such as BEC, phishing, ransomware, and data leaks, ThreatNG provides a comprehensive understanding of an organization's risk profile.

• Intelligence Repositories: ThreatNG's intelligence repositories on dark web activity, compromised credentials, and ransomware events provide early warning of potential threats.

Improved Incident Reporting:

• Domain Intelligence: ThreatNG's DNS, subdomain, certificate, and IP intelligence can help identify the source and scope of cyber incidents.

• Social Media Monitoring: Monitoring social media posts for mentions of security incidents can provide valuable information for incident response.

• Cloud and SaaS Exposure: Identifying exposed cloud buckets or misconfigured SaaS implementations can help contain and mitigate the impact of incidents.

Stronger Enforcement:

• Evidence Collection: ThreatNG's comprehensive investigation modules, including domain intelligence, sensitive code exposure, and dark web presence, can provide valuable evidence for enforcement actions.

• Non-Compliance Identification: ThreatNG's ability to identify vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and sensitive data exposure can help auditors pinpoint areas of non-compliance with NIS 2 requirements.

• Reporting: ThreatNG's reporting capabilities enable clear and concise communication of findings to internal stakeholders and regulatory authorities.

Specific Benefits for Member States and Auditors:

• Prioritization: ThreatNG's risk scoring and exposure analysis can help member states prioritize their cybersecurity efforts based on the most critical threats and vulnerabilities.

• Resource Optimization: By automating much of the discovery and assessment process, ThreatNG frees auditors to focus on more complex analysis and decision-making.

• Evidence-Based Enforcement: The detailed information ThreatNG provides enables auditors to make informed decisions and take appropriate enforcement actions against non-compliant organizations.

• Proactive Risk Mitigation: By identifying vulnerabilities and threats early on, member states, and organizations can take proactive measures to mitigate risks and prevent cyber incidents.

• Transparency and Accountability: ThreatNG's reporting capabilities provide openness into an organization's security posture, promoting accountability and driving continuous improvement.

• Harmonized Security Standards: By leveraging ThreatNG's capabilities, member states can ensure a more consistent and practical approach to cybersecurity across the EU, aligning with the goals of NIS 2.

By incorporating ThreatNG into their cybersecurity strategies, EU member states and auditors can strengthen their compliance efforts, enhance cyber resilience, and create a more secure digital environment for businesses and citizens.