How a 24/7 SOC service can help with compliance for NIS2 and DORA

NIS2 is a new EU regulation that imposes stricter cyber security requirements on organisations that operate in essential services to EU member states. EU member states will have to transpose NIS2 into their national legislation by October 17, 2024. If your organisation meets the criteria, then you need to make sure that your organisation meets NIS2 compliance. This blog post outlines what is required and how a 24/7 SOC service will help you meet NIS2 compliance guidelines and reduce the likelihood of a successful attack.

What is a 24/7 SOC service?

A 24/7 SOC (Security Operations Centre) is a team of cybersecurity professionals who monitor your networks and systems 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They use a variety of tools and techniques to detect and respond to cyber threats.

What is required under NIS2?

NIS2 seeks to further enhance the work started in the NIS Directive to build a high common level of cybersecurity across the European Union. It places obligations on Member States AND individual companies in critical sectors (NCSC).

NIS2 Article 29 states: Member States shall ensure that entities falling within the scope of this Directive, where information sharing aims to prevent, detect, respond to or recover from incidents or to mitigate their impact.

What is the relationship between NIS2 and DORA?

DORA is the “lex specialis” of NIS2, which means that a specific law takes precedence over a general one. NIS2 sets out cybersecurity risk management and reporting obligations for relevant organisations, as well as obligations on cybersecurity information sharing. DORA stipulates such obligations as well, and clarifies and complements NIS2 more than it supplants it. The Council has aligned the text with sector-specific legislation, in particular DORA, to provide legal clarity and ensure coherence between NIS2 and these acts. NIS2 has been brought in line with DORA, which is approved for organisations such as banks, insurance companies, crypto asset service companies, financial institutions and their suppliers. While NIS2 includes banking and financial services organisations as part of its directive, DORA is for the financial sector specifically.

How can a 24/7 SOC service help you comply with NIS2/DORA?

A 24/7 SOC service can help you comply with NIS2 in several ways:

• Continuous monitoring: A SOC continuously monitors your networks and systems for suspicious activity. This can help you to identify and respond to incidents quickly before they cause damage to your business.
• Incident response: A SOC can provide you with assistance with incident response. This includes helping you identify the incident’s scope, contain the damage, and recover your systems.
• Risk management: A SOC can help you to identify and manage cybersecurity risks. They can also provide you with regular risk assessments and recommendations for mitigation.
• Compliance reporting: A SOC can help you to comply with NIS2 reporting requirements. This is done by providing you with reports on incidents, risks, and other cybersecurity metrics.

Additional benefits of using a 24/7 SOC service

In addition to helping you comply with NIS2, a 24/7 SOC service can also provide you with several other benefits, including:

• Access to expertise: A managed SOC is staffed by experienced cybersecurity professionals with the expertise you need to protect your business from cyber threats.
• Scalability: A managed SOC can scale to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes. A managed service platform makes sense as your business grows.
• Cost-effectiveness: A manged SOC service can be more cost-effective than building and maintaining your own SOC. This is because you can share the costs of the service with other businesses.

Conclusion

A 24/7 SOC service can be a valuable asset for any organisation that is trying to comply with NIS2. It can help you to improve your cybersecurity posture and reduce your risk of being attacked. If you are not sure whether a 24/7 SOC service is right for you, talk to a cybersecurity expert.