The NIS2 Directive is a cybersecurity-related piece of legislation operating in the European Union. It updates an earlier version from 2016. Its introduction was aimed at increasing the level of data protection in the virtual space. How do the directive's provisions relate to the issue of privileged access and SOC? We explain.
Who is affected by the NIS 2 directive?
The new regulations went into effect on January 16, 2023. They thus replaced the document that had been in effect since 2016. The changes were driven by the desire to strengthen cybersecurity where the virtual workspace is a pillar of an organization's operations. What exactly has changed in this piece of legislation?
First of all, the roster of industries and sectors and areas of activity that require increased safeguards has been expanded. The NIS 2 directive covers both private and public sector entities, which can be classified as medium-sized companies. The NIS two directive distinguishes another two groups of entities - those providing critical services and those providing important services. Their list is an annex to the act.
Organizations where a virtual attack can lead to major changes in economic or social terms are considered crucial. These include public administrations.
NIS Directive 2 - establishment of the SOC team
In practice, the introduction of the NIS 2 directive requires organizations to create a team SOC (Security Operations Center).. The task of its members is to control the IT security system, but also to respond immediately to any emerging threats.
However, there is no obligation to hire specialists for this purpose. Network monitoring can be successfully outsourced to an external company. In doing so, there is no concern about the effectiveness of protecting strategic data. A security system managed by an external SOC sends regular reports to CSIRT teams. In a way, the NIS 2 directive motivates more thorough security audits, testing, malware analysis, but also proper training of users on cyber security issues.
NIS 2 directive and privileged access
To begin with, it's worth recalling that Privileged Access Management, abbreviated PAM (Privileged Access Management) is about, among other things, limiting access to information, but also equally about tracking and possibly blocking suspicious behavior. In this way, the risk of unauthorized access is significantly reduced. PAM activities have a real impact on the security of the entire company's work.
Key company resources, which are accessed by a limited number of people, are a greedy morsel for cybercriminals. If a hacker manages to get into at least one of an employee's accounts, that's the first and usually effective step to escalating the crime. The consequences can be severe - including loss of control over the organization's IT infrastructure.
It is worth entrusting all issues related to virtual security and the rules arising from the NIS 2 directive to specialists. Thanks to their knowledge and experience, they can accurately assess the risks associated with the creation of privileged accounts in the company, but also respond in a timely manner to unauthorized operations that occur on company servers.
How to implement the objectives of the NIS 2 directive?
If you opt for an outsourced solution, ISCG will analyze the processes involved in managing privileged access. The company's outsourced security services also include technical reviews of already existing solutions and their verification against security policies.
The stage at which weaknesses in the company's IT infrastructure are delineated and what improvements can be implemented is also crucial. At any point in this process, you can count on expert advice, such as optimizing the PAM system and other security tools.
After that, what remains is the comprehensive implementation of the system and its gradual development.