The digital landscape is constantly evolving, and with it, the threats posed by cybercriminals. These threats are becoming increasingly frequent and sophisticated, demanding a proactive approach to cybersecurity. Recognizing this critical need, particularly for essential services and infrastructure, the European Union (EU) has implemented the Network and Information Security Directive 2 (NIS2). This directive establishes a set of core cybersecurity standards designed to bolster the resilience of various sectors across the EU.
Let's take a closer look at the key aspects of the NIS2 and explore how organizations can leverage Zoho's integrated security solutions stack to achieve compliance with these updated EU regulations.
What is NIS2?
The EU introduced NIS2 to strengthen cybersecurity across member states. It demands stricter reporting of cyber incidents, improved information sharing, and closer cooperation between national authorities. By imposing fines for non-compliance, it aims to make both public and private organizations prioritize cybersecurity. The aim of NIS2 is to create a strong, unified level of cybersecurity in the EU, protecting essential services and the digital economy from ever-growing cyber threats.
What is the difference between NIS and NIS2?
In 2016, the European Union established its first cybersecurity law, the Network and Information Systems Directive (NIS). In response to the changing cyber threat landscape, they recently implemented NIS2, a significant upgrade to the original directive.
Cyber threats have become more frequent and impactful. Ransomware attacks, for example, were less common and less damaging in 2016. This drastic shift, with global cybercrime damages projected to rise from $3 trillion in 2015 to a staggering $10.5 trillion by 2025, necessitates stronger cybersecurity measures.
Three major differences between NIS and NIS2 are as follows:
Wider coverage: NIS2 brings more sectors of the economy under its umbrella, ensuring better protection for today's interconnected digital systems.
Clearer rules: NIS2 eliminates inconsistencies in how the directive is applied across different countries. This provides organizations with a more uniform set of security, reporting, and enforcement requirements.
Enhanced collaboration: NIS2 promotes better planning, crisis management, and information sharing between EU member states in case of major cyberattacks.
Does the NIS2 affect your organization?
NIS2 impacts all organizations that offer essential or important services to the European economy. Even organizations that are already in compliance with NIS regulations will need to adhere to the updated NIS2 guidelines.
The directive has expanded its reach from the initial seven sectors to now include 15 sectors.
What are the NIS2 requirements?
The NIS2 Directive presents new requirements for organizations in four main categories.
Risk management: NIS2 requires organizations to take active steps to minimize cyber risks. This means implementing strong measures like better incident management, a secure supply chain, robust network security, stricter access controls, and data encryption.
Corporate accountability: Corporate management is now directly responsible for overseeing, approving, and being trained on cybersecurity measures.
Reporting obligations: Essential and important entities (as defined by NIS2) are required to have a system for promptly reporting security incidents that significantly impact their services or customers.
Business continuity: Organizations must develop a plan to ensure they can continue critical operations following a major cyberattack. This should cover system recovery, emergency procedures, and the formation of a crisis response team.
How Zoho can help you comply with NIS2
Zoho simplifies password and access management, helping to meet a major component of the NIS2 minimum standards. Here's how Zoho can help with NIS2 compliance for your organization.
Secure access to information
In line with the NIS2, companies must enforce strong access control measures to protect confidential data. Zoho Directory offers centralized device management for administrators, while allowing employees to experience a smooth single sign-on for all their work-related needs. It provides features like Conditional Access and Routing Policy, which add an extra layer of security by allowing businesses to set specific access rules based on factors like location, device trust, and IP address. This granular control ensures that sensitive information is only accessible to authorized users.
Multi-factor authentication
The NIS2 directive recommends multi-factor authentication (MFA) as a critical security measure for businesses. To comply and enhance online security, consider Zoho OneAuth, a comprehensive multi-factor authentication app that provides an additional layer of protection for your online accounts. It offers features like Restrict Sign-in to guard against MFA fatigue attacks, App-Lock for secure access, and Remote Logout to terminate unauthorized sessions.
Ransomware defense
Ulaa, a privacy-first browser from Zoho, offers a comprehensive security solution that strengthens your defenses against ransomware. Through machine learning, Ulaa detects and blocks phishing websites and prevents unauthorized crypto-mining attempts. Additionally, it enhances user privacy by eliminating intrusive ads and tracking scripts. Ulaa's focus on both security and privacy minimizes the risk of ransomware incidents and helps organizations adhere to NIS2 data protection standards.
Timely vulnerability information and incident reporting
To effectively comply with NIS2 regulations, organizations need a robust password management solution. Zoho Vault delivers on this front by offering security, information, and events management (SIEM) integration for holistic activity monitoring within the password vault. It also provides a security dashboard with real-time insights into potential vulnerabilities and password strength. This information helps administrators proactively identify and address weak passwords, ultimately safeguarding sensitive data.
Final thoughts
The EU's enhanced cybersecurity law, NIS2, is on the horizon. Don't get caught off guard—the deadline to comply is October 17th, 2024, and hefty fines (up to €10 million) are on the table. Zoho can simplify this process and help your organization meet the new requirements efficiently.
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