NIS2 compliance: Understanding and successfully implementing requirements

The most important thing in brief:

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Die NIS2 policy brings new demands to companies across Europe. The aim is to raise cybersecurity to a new level and to better protect critical infrastructures and other affected companies against attacks. This brings the topic NIS2 compliance into the focus of IT managers who must prepare their organizations in good time.

In this article, you will learn what is behind the term, which core requirements apply and how a NIS2 compliance software How Docusnap helps you implement it.

What does NIS2 compliance mean?

Die NIS2 policy is the development of the original NIS Directive from 2016, which significantly expands the circle of affected companies and tightens the requirements for security measures, risk management and reporting requirements. Under NIS 2 compliance Is compliance with these legal requirements understood: Companies must not only implement security measures, but also regularly review and document their effectiveness. A detailed The definition of the NIS 2 Directive can be found here.

Core requirements for NIS 2 compliance

The NIS2 Directive prescribes clear measures that companies must implement. These include:

• Risk management and safety concepts: Identification and assessment of IT risks.
• Incident Response: Obligation to report security incidents within tight deadlines.
• Business continuity: Plans to maintain operations in the event of cyber attacks or disruptions.
• Access and authorization management: Strict control over who can access which data and systems.
• Documentation and proof requirements: Companies must be able to prove that all requirements are met.

➡️ Read exactly who is affected in the article “NIS2 — Who is affected? ”.

Checklist: Is your organization ready for NIS2 compliance?

Many companies ask themselves: “How well prepared are we really for the NIS2 Directive? ”
The following checklist will help you assess the current state of your IT security and compliance:

• ✅ Do you have a complete overview of your entire IT infrastructure (servers, clients, applications, networks)?
• ✅ Is there an established risk management system that is regularly reviewed and documented?
• ✅ Are clear processes defined for reporting security incidents within the prescribed deadlines?
• ✅ Is there a business continuity plan in place to keep operations running even in the event of cyber attacks?
• ✅ Are access rights and user accounts regularly checked and outdated permissions consistently removed?
• ✅ Can you provide audit-relevant reports and evidence for auditors or authorities at the push of a button?

Supported by NIS2 compliance software

In practice, many IT departments are faced with the challenge of implementing NIS2 requirements efficiently and comprehensibly. So far, only a few have been able to successfully check off all items from the checklist. Here comes Docusnap as NIS2 compliance software into the game.

Docusnap helps you to systematically meet the relevant requirements:

• Automated inventory: Overview of all systems, networks and applications — the basis for any risk management.
• Permission analysis: Transparency as to who has access to sensitive data and rapid identification of risks.
• Documentation and reporting: Create up-to-date evidence of your IT infrastructure at any time — a crucial point for audits and audits.
• Emergency planning support: With Docusnap, you can Emergency and recovery plans create that are based on current inventory data. In an emergency, this ensures that critical systems can be put back into operation quickly.
• Linking to security processes: Docusnap provides the data you need to effectively manage security and compliance.

➡️ A compact A summary of NIS2 requirements can be found here.

Practical example from everyday IT life

A medium-sized energy supply company was faced with the challenge of implementing the requirements of the NIS2 Directive on time. This was particularly problematic Permission management, as numerous employees changed over the years and many outdated user accounts remained.

With Docusnap, the IT department was able to record all active and inactive user accounts in just a few hours and present them in clear reports. It was noticed that several former employees still had access to critical systems — a significant security risk.

Through the remediation measures derived directly from the analysis with Docusnap, the company was not only able to meet compliance requirements, but also significantly reduce the real risk of cyber attacks.

The first steps you should take now

Many companies are currently faced with the question: “We're not yet fully compliant with the NIS2 Directive — should we be worried? ”
The answer is: No, it is not appropriate to panic. Rather, it is important to proceed in a structured manner and to approach implementation step by step.

Short-term measures

You can implement these points relatively quickly and with manageable effort:

• Information gathering: Clarify the NIS2 Directive to understand what specific obligations apply to your company.
• Check suitable software solutions: Try tools like Docusnap that automate inventory, documentation, and authorization analyses, creating a basis for compliance.
• Start inventory: Record your existing IT infrastructure, document systems, applications and access rights.
• Identify the first gaps: Quickly identify where critical vulnerabilities exist — such as unused user accounts or missing access rules.

Long-term measures

These steps require more time, but form the basis for a sustainable compliance strategy:

• Establish risk management: Develop a continuous process to assess and mitigate risks
• Create emergency and recovery plans: Plan scenarios for system failures or cyber attacks and rehearse processes regularly.
• Expand business continuity management: Ensure clear responsibilities, escalation processes and resource planning in an emergency.
• Establish a safety culture: Train employees regularly, sensitize employees to phishing & co. and increase awareness of cyber security.

With such a roadmap, it becomes clear that NIS2 compliance is feasible — if you start systematically taking the right steps today.

conclusion

Compliance with NIS 2 compliance is not an option, but a requirement. Companies that start implementing them early can minimize risks, avoid fines, and strengthen their resilience to cyber attacks. With Docusnap as NIS2 compliance software You have a strong partner at your side who helps you automate processes, create transparency and provide audit-relevant evidence at any time.

More blog articles on the topic:

• NIS 2 Directive: Implementation by Germany
• NIS2 Austria: What companies need to consider
• NIS2 Switzerland: What Swiss companies need to know now

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