As expected, the introduction of the NIS2 Directive has sparked concern—some would say even panic—among companies across the European Union. The scope of affected sectors has expanded, and the measures are more stringent, covering multiple dimensions, one of the most critical being business continuity.
In this article, we explain what business continuity means in the context of the NIS2 Directive and how you can approach compliance.
What Does Business Continuity Management (BCM) Include?
The primary goal of the NIS2 Directive is to strengthen cybersecurity across critical sectors, with a focus on preventing incidents. Business continuity management (BCM), on the other hand, is aimed at maintaining operational workflows even when incidents occur. The purpose of BCM activities is to minimize the impact on business functions and restore operations to a normal state within an acceptable time frame.
Since NIS2 emphasizes the security of information systems, BCM in this context primarily refers to backup and disaster recovery solutions. Backup ensures fast data recovery, while disaster recovery focuses on the swift restoration of IT systems. In some industries—such as healthcare information systems or transportation management systems—these capabilities are crucial to service delivery.
What’s the Connection Between NIS2 and Business Continuity?
In a business environment where IT systems, data, and digital services are no longer support functions but business foundations, and where cyber threats are increasingly complex and frequent, resilience to disruption is a top priority. The NIS2 Directive is about strengthening digital resilience—on an EU level, this means safeguarding the economy and critical services.
Although it may not seem that way, NIS2 compliance is in companies’ best interest—not just to avoid steep penalties, but also because implementing the directive’s measures offers the best protection for their business. Importantly, compliance isn’t a one-time project, but a continuous process of monitoring, prevention, and reporting.
Where to Start?
If your organization is subject to NIS2 (and even if it’s not, cyber risk should not be underestimated), it’s essential to address business continuity management. Depending on whether you already have some BCM processes in place or are starting from scratch, your journey to compliance will involve different steps:
