What is NIS2? Directive (EU) 2022/2555, or NIS2, aims to enhance the overall level of cybersecurity within the European Union (EU) and ensure the resilience of networks and information systems of critical entities operating in the EU.
Syteca helps you achieve compliance with the NIS2 Directive by leveraging comprehensive insider risk management and other cybersecurity capabilities.
NIS2 updated and replaced the original NIS Directive of 2016 to address evolving cyber threats and ensure a higher level of cybersecurity across critical sectors in the EU. The new directive covers more sectors, establishes stricter cybersecurity and incident reporting requirements, and imposes higher penalties for non-compliance.
Benefits of using Syteca for NIS2 compliance
Enhance organizational security
Detect insider threats
Avoid fines and lawsuits
Promptly respond to incidents
Prevent data breaches
Secure access to sensitive data
Who does NIS2 apply to?
NIS2 applies to essential and important entities providing services in the European Union. Even if your organization isn’t physically located in the EU, it may be subject to NIS2 if it provides services within any EU Member State.
According to Article 2, NIS2 applies to all medium-sized enterprises or larger entities in sectors referred to in Annexes I and II to the directive:
Sectors of high criticality (NIS2 Annex I)
Energy
Transport
Banking
Health
Drinking and waste water
Space
Digital infrastructure
Financial market infrastructures
ICT service management (B2B)
Public administration
Sectors of high criticality (NIS2 Annex I)
Postal and courier services
Chemical industry
Waste management
Digital providers
Manufacturing
Food industry
Research
Note: For detailed information about the sectors and organizations affected by NIS2, see Article 2 of the Directive and Annexes I and II.
What are NIS2 security requirements?
Article 21 outlines the main NIS2 requirements. Most of them focus on taking appropriate measures to ensure organizational security.
“Member States shall ensure that essential and important entities take appropriate and proportionate technical, operational and organisational measures to manage the risks posed to the security of network and information systems which those entities use for their operations or for the provision of their services, and to prevent or minimise the impact of incidents on recipients of their services and on other services.”
NIS2 Directive, Article 21
Security measures required by NIS2
01
Risk analysis and information system security
02
Incident handling and reporting
03
Business continuity
04
Assessment of the effectiveness of cybersecurity risk management measures
05
Supply chain security
06
Security in network and information systems acquisition, development, and maintenance
07
Basic cyber hygiene practices and cybersecurity training
08
Policies and procedures regarding the use of cryptography and encryption
09
Use of multi-factor authentication or continuous authentication solutions
10
Human resources security, access control policies, and asset management
Each EU Member State transposes the NIS2 Directive into its own laws in different ways. Although these laws may vary across Member States, they all codify NIS2 cybersecurity requirements. Syteca can help you meet these requirements.
As of early 2025, only a few Member States have successfully met the deadline (October 2024), while the rest faced significant delays — meaning you still might have time to prepare if you haven’t already done so.
Comply with NIS2 using Syteca
Syteca is a comprehensive cybersecurity platform that helps you enhance your organization’s resilience to cybersecurity incidents. Syteca’s extensive user activity monitoring, access management, incident response, auditing and reporting, and other cybersecurity capabilities can help you cover key NIS2 compliance requirements. Here’s how:
Reduce the risk of unauthorized activity that may disrupt business operations by getting hold of access privileges in your IT infrastructure.
Facilitate communication by providing accurate and detailed information about a crisis and its impact.
Restore your organization’s audit trail and continue monitoring and recording user activity in case of server failure with Syteca’s High Availability and Disaster Recovery modes.
Security measure required by NIS2
Assessment of the effectiveness of cybersecurity risk management measures
Corresponding Syteca functionality
Use an audit trail generated by Syteca to assess how cybersecurity measures work in your organization.
Monitor how your employees and other users stick to data security policies and other cybersecurity rules in your organization.
Secure RDP connections to your environment and detect unauthorized data access, data exfiltration, or any remote user behavior indicating a potential insider threat.
Protect access to sensitive data and critical systems by providing third-party vendors with one-time passwords and limiting their user session time in your IT infrastructure.
Enhance the security of your supply chain by installing Syteca on your third-party vendors’ endpoints.
Security measure required by NIS2
Basic cyber hygiene practices and cybersecurity training
Corresponding Syteca functionality
Get visibility into user actions and behaviors to identify and address any lapses in basic cyber hygiene practices and detect policy violations.
Monitor user actions during penetration testing to provide targeted feedback to users and promote adherence to cybersecurity best practices.
Use recorded user sessions to develop materials and case studies for cybersecurity awareness training initiatives.
Nurture users’ cybersecurity habits by displaying warning messages in response to forbidden actions.
Security measure required by NIS2
Policies and procedures regarding the use of cryptography and encryption
Corresponding Syteca functionality
Leverage Syteca’s encryption of user activity monitoring data, connections, and other sensitive records.
Secure your organization’s passwords and user secrets using SHA-256 and AES-256 algorithms.
Encrypt your exported user session data using RSA-1024 to prevent any changes in cybersecurity evidence.
Apply FIPS 140-2 certified encryption of all usernames and aliases with Syteca’s data anonymization feature.
Security measure required by NIS2
Use of multi-factor authentication and communication solutions
Corresponding Syteca functionality
Mitigate the risk of unauthorized access and account compromise with the help of two-factor authentication.
Use Syteca’s password and identity management capabilities to establish a secure access request and approval workflow and enhance authentication procedures in your organization.
Integrate Syteca with Active Directory and ticketing systems.
Security measure required by NIS2
Human resources security, access control policies, and asset management
Corresponding Syteca functionality
Ensure human resources security by detecting and investigating any unauthorized or suspicious activities carried out by employees.
Control access to sensitive assets and implement the principle of least privilege with Syteca’s privileged access management functionality.
Capture users’ interactions with critical assets and systems to ensure asset tracking, accountability, and protection.
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FAQ
Failure to comply with NIS2 standards can result in severe penalties for your organization, including fines of up to €10 million (~$10.34 million) or 2% of the organization’s total worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher. Consequences may include sanctions against top managers and suspension of certifications and authorizations for services your organization provides.
Potential indirect consequences include reputational damage, loss of business opportunities, and increased scrutiny from regulatory authorities.
NIS2 is an evolution of the original NIS Directive and introduces more comprehensive and stringent cybersecurity requirements. NIS2 came into force in January 2023 as a response to the increased frequency and impact of cyberattacks on critical EU infrastructure. Compared to the NIS Directive, it encompasses a broader scope and introduces additional cybersecurity requirements, reporting obligations, and sanctions.
In particular, NIS2 broadened its scope to include additional industries, such as manufacturing, food supply, and digital infrastructure. NIS2 emphasizes the importance of supply chain security, risk management, and incident preparedness, ensuring a more robust and proactive cybersecurity approach for organizations.
If your organization is subject to NIS2, you should start by figuring out which of your IT systems fall under its scope. Once you’ve learned the security requirements of NIS2, conduct a gap analysis to compare them to the existing security measures implemented in your organization.
Next, you should allocate the necessary resources and implement any NIS2 Directive compliance requirements your organization does not meet. NIS2 compliance software like Syteca can significantly streamline this process by automating key aspects such as user activity monitoring, privileged access management, and secure credential handling. Creating a NIS2 compliance checklist to track your progress will ensure that all aspects of compliance are covered.
NIS2 classifies an organization in one of two ways, depending on its impact on society and the EU economy. According to the Directive, your organization must assess your role within these sectors to determine your compliance obligations. To determine which group your organization belongs to, consider referring to Annexes I and II of the Directive.
“Essential” entities, or those “operating in sectors of high criticality”, are outlined in NIS2 Annex I and include critical sectors such as energy, healthcare, and transport.
“Important” entities, or those “operating in other critical sectors”, are described in NIS2 Annex II and include industries like manufacturing, food supply, and digital services.
According to NIS2, organizations subject to the Directive must notify specific parties when a cybersecurity incident occurs. These parties include the National Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs), other competent authorities within the Member States, and, where appropriate, the recipients of the entities’ services.
Incident reporting under NIS2 must follow a structured timeline to ensure thorough communication and accountability. Within 24 hours, an early warning must outline potential causes and any cross-border impacts. Within 72 hours, an updated report should expand on the initial information, providing more context about the incident. Refer to Article 23 of the Directive to read more about NIS2 reporting requirements.
