In the ever-evolving field of cybersecurity, regulatory frameworks like the European Directive NIS2 and the UK’s Cyber Essentials Certification play crucial roles in safeguarding organisations against cyber threats.
Although they operate in different jurisdictions, understanding their relationship can help UK companies navigate the complex sphere of cybersecurity compliance.
While NIS2 imposes comprehensive cybersecurity obligations on essential and important entities within the EU, Cyber Essentials provides a foundational level of security for UK companies.
Understanding how Cyber Essentials can help meet NIS2 requirements is essential for businesses aiming to enhance their cybersecurity posture and ensure compliance.
What is NIS2
The Network and Information Security Directive (NIS2) is an EU directive aimed at achieving a high common level of cybersecurity across member states. It builds on the original NIS Directive, addressing the evolving threat landscape and imposing stringent cybersecurity obligations on essential and important entities. These obligations include risk management, incident reporting, and supply chain security.
What is Cyber Essentials
Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed certification scheme designed to help organizations protect themselves against common cyber threats. It involves implementing five basic security controls: firewalls, secure configuration, user access control, malware protection, and patch management. Achieving Cyber Essentials certification demonstrates a commitment to cybersecurity and can also provide access to cyber liability insurance for eligible organizations.
How Cyber Essentials Helps Meet NIS2 Requirements
Cyber Essentials focuses on implementing five basic security controls that align with NIS2’s emphasis on robust cybersecurity measures. These controls help establish a baseline level of security, which is essentials for meeting NIS2 requirements.
Both Cyber Essentials and NIS2 stress the importance of risk management. By implementing the basic controls required for Cyber Essentials, companies can better identify and mitigate cyber risks, which is a core requirement of NIS2.
Achieving Cyber Essentials certification encourages organisations to develop effective incident response plans. This aligns with NIS2’ requirements for timely reporting and management of significant cyber incidents.
Cyber Essentials promotes good cybersecurity hygiene, which can help secure the supply chain. NIS2 places a strong emphasis on supply chain security, and having Cyber Essentials certification can demonstrate that a company is taking proactive steps to secure its part of the supply chain.
Cyber Essentials certification can serve as a stepping stone towards more comprehensive compliance frameworks like NIS2. It shows a commitment to cybersecurity, which can be beneficial when demonstrating compliance with NIS2’s more stringent requirements.
How Go Live UK Ltd. can help you?
Go Live UK Ltd. is an accredited certification body for the Cyber Essentials scheme, ensuring your business meets essential cybersecurity standards. We offer comprehensive consultations to guide you through the certification process and enhance your cybersecurity posture. Our expert team is dedicated to helping you achieve and maintain robust security measures, protecting your organisation from cyber threats. If you need a cyber expert, please call us on 0203 8652 964, or send an email to [email protected].
Conclusion
For UK companies, achieving Cyber Essentials certification is a practical and effective way to enhance their cybersecurity posture and take significant steps towards meeting the broader and more detailed requirements of NIS2. By focusing on basic security controls, risk management, incident response, and supply chain security, Cyber Essentials provides a solid foundation that aligns with NIS2's objectives. As the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve, staying compliant with these frameworks will be crucial for protecting critical infrastructure and maintaining business resilience.