NIS2 and your website: what does the new directive mean for you?

With the introduction of NIS2, Europe aims to enhance the digital resilience of essential and important entities. Do you own a website? Then you'll certainly want to know how NIS2 will impact your online business. Read more here.

Quick refresh: What is NIS2?

NIS2(The Network and Information Security Directive) is an initiative of the European Union, launched by the European Commission to enhance cybersecurity within Europe.

Investment: Technology, people, and processes

Entrepreneurs are understandably concerned about the impact of NIS2. The stricter rules require investments in technology, human resources, and processes. This new regulation goes significantly further than its predecessor, NIS1.

Failure to comply with the NIS2 directive could lead to substantial fines, reputational damage, and increased vulnerability to cyber-attacks.

What impact does NIS2 have on websites?

The NIS2 directive brings significant changes for website owners. NIS2 considerably broadens the scope of cybersecurity obligations, meaning smaller businesses and organizations that previously fell outside regulation may now, in many cases, also be subject to these requirements.

When it comes to NIS2, the degree of your website's impact is crucial. For instance, if you operate an online platform that delivers services or products to a critical or essential sector (such as banking, government, chemical, energy, etc.), you may need to comply with the NIS2 regulations.

In this case, you'll need to implement appropriate and proactive security measures, including regular security updates, addressing vulnerabilities, and strong authentication controls.

This also means, as a website owner, you must actively monitor your security environment and be prepared to respond effectively to cyber incidents, which must be reported to supervisory authorities within 24 hours.

Maintaining your reputation

Another significant benefit: NIS2 contributes positively to your business reputation. Businesses investing in robust cybersecurity measures gain increased trust from customers and partners.

This advantage is especially relevant given the frequency of cyber incidents today. Even if you do not fall under the mandatory NIS2 regulations, it is still advisable to invest in your website's security.

Key changes for websites:

Stricter security requirements for web hosting and IT infrastructure:

Mandatory risk assessments and preventive measures:

Incident reporting obligations:

Is your website affected by NIS2 regulations?

NIS2 specifically targets certain sectors such as ICT, digital services, e-commerce, healthcare, financial services, and infrastructure. If your business operates in one of these sectors or offers essential online services, you're likely to fall under this directive.

While NIS2 primarily impacts larger companies, medium-sized and even smaller organizations must also comply if their services are critical or essential to other businesses or consumers.

Steps You Can Take:

Although this directive represents significant progress, there remain uncertainties about its implementation.

Here's how to determine if NIS2 applies to you:

• Use the quick-start guide: The Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB) provides documentation, including a quick-start guide ('Scope Test Tool').
• Contact the CCB: Seek advice from CCB experts.
• Conduct a risk analysis: A conformity assessment body (CAB) can help you identify which rules apply to your organization.
• Check the list of (highly) critical sectors: Some sectors already have specific guidelines to determine if your organization is classified as essential or important ('critical' or 'highly critical').

Ultra-Secure hosting is crucial

With NIS2, choosing a reliable and secure hosting partner becomes even more important. Pay special attention to:

Key security requirements for your hosting provider:

• Regular security updates and patch management.
• Strong data encryption and secure authentication methods.
• Clear incident response procedures and proactive system monitoring.

Guarantees and certification:

• Request assurances such as ISO 27001 certification or other recognized security standards. Providers like Combell can offer these!
• Demand transparency regarding incident handling and reporting.
• Clearly defined agreements on availability, response, and recovery times.

A trustworthy hosting provider will also offer advice and support on preventive security measures and ensure your infrastructure consistently meets NIS2 standards.

By partnering with a professional hosting provider, you reduce technical risks, potential fines, and reputational damage, resulting in a robustly secured website.

Impact of NIS2 on hosting and cloud

NIS2 sets stricter security requirements for hosting providers, meaning customers must carefully consider their hosting partner choices. Fortunately, experts at Combell always provide advice on selecting the best and safest hosting options.

Consider the following:

Shared hosting, VPS, and dedicated servers:

• Shared hosting must provide additional security layers and isolation.
• VPS and dedicated servers require enhanced monitoring, security updates, and stricter access controls.
• Providers must clearly define responsibilities for security and incident management.

Cloud hosting and security requirements:

• Cloud providers must adhere to strengthened standards for access management, data security, and encryption.
• Mandatory proactive monitoring and vulnerability detection are essential.
• Reliable, regular backups are required, alongside clear data management practices compliant with the directive.

NIS2-Proof: how to make your website safer?

From bloggers to entrepreneurs: cybersecurity becomes crucial for everyone with the introduction of NIS2. Here are practical tips for enhancing your website security:

Basic measures for a secure website:

• Always ensure HTTPS and use SSL certificates for data encryption.
• Regularly back up your data, storing backups safely and separately.

Preventive Security Measures:

• Conduct periodic risk assessments to timely identify vulnerabilities.
• Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to prevent unauthorized access.
• Keep your CMS, plugins, and other software updated to minimize vulnerabilities.

Monitoring and Procedures:

• Implement continuous system monitoring to quickly detect security incidents.
• Develop clear backup and data recovery procedures for rapid recovery from incidents.
• Clearly document incident reporting procedures, including contact details for relevant authorities.

Choose a NIS2-compliant hosting partner

NIS2 makes selecting a reliable hosting partner even more critical. Inquire about regular security updates, strict access control, and robust authentication.

You need a hosting provider who implements and documents demonstrable security measures. This way, you'll have peace of mind regarding your website's security and compliance with complex NIS regulations.

Is your business growing and in need of additional assurances? In Combell’s ultra-secure, NIS2-compliant hosting environment, you can rely on a Service Level Agreement (SLA) and solutions guaranteeing Disaster Recovery.