In the high-stakes arena of modern cybersecurity, strong protection is essential for both business continuity and regulatory compliance. The NIS2 Directive represents the EU’s most comprehensive cybersecurity legislation to date. Here’s what we’ve seen six months after full implementation and how vulnerability management helps with compliance.
Current State of NIS2
NIS2 created a unified legal framework for cybersecurity across the EU. It raises cybersecurity standards through wider scope, clearer rules and stronger supervision tools. After coming into force in January 2023, EU countries had to add it to their laws by October 17, 2024 – a deadline that passed six months ago.
Unlike the original directive, NIS2 significantly expanded its reach. It added 8 more sectors to the original list, for a total of 15 sectors. This means thousands more organizations now face regulatory requirements for cybersecurity measures.
Real-World Implementation Challenges
The first six months have shown several challenges:
- Rules vary between countries
- Smaller organizations struggle with limited resources
- Fitting NIS2 with existing security systems is hard
- Checking supply chain security takes time
- Meeting incident reporting deadlines is tough
Companies need more than just firewalls and anti-virus. They must have plans for risk management, incident response, and supply chain security. Many are finding they need to be much more active with security.
Vulnerability Management: The Foundation of Compliance
As organizations work through initial compliance efforts, vulnerability management has become essential. You can’t protect systems if you don’t know where the weaknesses are.
The directive requires regular risk assessment and mitigation. Companies that are doing well have:
- Regular scanning of all systems
- Ways to rank which issues to fix first
- Clear steps for fixing problems
- Automatic compliance reports
- Checks on supplier security
The Edgescan Approach: Lessons from the Field
Since NIS2’s full implementation, we’ve helped many organizations meet requirements. Our platform provides the comprehensive coverage needed in today’s regulatory environment.
1. Continuous Testing
Edgescan provides continuous vulnerability scanning and assessment across both network infrastructure and application layers. This aligns with NIS2’s requirement for organizations to regularly assess and mitigate risks. Companies using continuous assessment have demonstrated significantly faster compliance verification.
2. Focus on What Matters
Not all security issues are equally important. Edgescan helps organizations focus on the biggest risks first. Initial NIS2 assessments have revealed that organizations using risk-based prioritization reduce their mean time to remediation by up to 60%, addressing critical issues before they impact compliance status.
3. Complete Coverage
NIS2 requires security across all systems. Our full-stack approach checks everything from web applications to network equipment. This holistic view ensures nothing gets missed when proving compliance.
4. Real Issues Only
False alarms waste time and resources. Edgescan combines automatic scanning with human experts who check each issue. This hybrid approach eliminates the noise that often plagues vulnerability management programs, allowing security teams to focus on genuine issues.
5. Clear Documentation
NIS2 requires good documentation. During the first six months, organizations with comprehensive reporting have navigated regulatory scrutiny more effectively. We provide reports that clearly show your security status and remediation efforts – essential evidence during compliance audits.
Enforcement Reality Check
With NIS2 now in full effect, enforcement has started. Early patterns show:
- Focus on critical infrastructure first
- Checks of documentation and processes
- Tests of incident response plans
- Reviews of supply chain security
- Questions about executive oversight
Organizations with good vulnerability management have generally done better in these assessments, establishing a pattern for future enforcement priorities.
Beyond Basic Compliance: Building Cyber Resilience
Smart organizations are using NIS2 to improve security, not just check boxes. Good vulnerability management protects against real threats. Forward-thinking companies are turning compliance investments into strategic security advantages by implementing a continuous, risk-based approach.
The Path Forward: Your NIS2 Strategy
Six months in, we have a clearer picture of what works. Organizations should adjust their strategies based on real enforcement patterns. Vulnerability management remains the foundation of effective compliance.
If you’re still working toward full compliance, start now. If you’ve established baseline compliance, focus on optimization and integration with broader security programs.
With Edgescan’s comprehensive vulnerability management platform, you can handle NIS2 requirements with confidence while building stronger defenses against security threats in 2025 and beyond.
