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NIS2 Directive (EU 2022/2555)

ActiveCore framework

Best for: Member States also bring certain small enterprises and microenterprises with a key role into scope of the NIS2 Directive.

Mandatory?Mandatory for essential/important entities in 18 EU sectors
Who validates?National competent authority (EU member state). No self-assessment.
RenewalOngoing; no fixed audit cycle
ScopeEssential and important entities in energy, transport, health, digital infrastructure, etc.
Governing bodyEuropean Parliament and Council of the European Union, NIS2 Directive (EU 2022/2555, Oct 2024). Official source

Controls by category

139 controls are Mapped to NIS2 Directive (EU 2022/2555).

1.1.1.a set out the relevant entities approach to managing the security of their network and information systems;

1.1.1.c set out network and information security objectives;

1.2.1 As part of their policy on the security of network and information systems referred to in point 1.1., the relevant entities shall lay down responsibilities and authorities for network and information system security and assign them to roles, allocate them according to the relevant entities...

1.2.4 Depending on the size of the relevant entities, network and information system security shall be covered by dedicated roles or duties carried out in addition to existing roles.

11.1.1 For the purpose of Article 21(2), point (i) of Directive (EU) 2022/2555, the relevant entities shall establish, document and implement logical and physical access control policies for the access to their network and information systems, based on business requirements as well as network...

11.1.2.c ensure that access is only granted to users that have been adequately authenticated.

11.2.1 The relevant entities shall provide, modify, remove and document access rights to network and information systems in accordance with the access control policy referred to in point 11.1.

11.2.2.a assign and revoke access rights based on the principles of need-to-know, least privilege and separation of duties;

11.2.2.d ensure that access rights appropriately address third-party access, such as visitors, suppliers and service providers, in particular by limiting access rights in scope and in duration;

11.2.2.f apply logging to the management of access rights.

11.3.1 The relevant entities shall maintain policies for management of privileged accounts and system administration accounts as part of the access control policy referred to in point 11.1.

11.3.2.a establish strong identification, authentication such as multi-factor authentication, and authorisation procedures for privileged accounts and system administration accounts;

11.3.2.b set up specific accounts to be used for system administration operations exclusively, such as installation, configuration, management or maintenance;

11.3.2.c individualise and restrict system administration privileges to the highest extent possible,

11.3.2.d provide that system administration accounts are only used to connect to system administration systems.

11.4.2.b separate logically such systems from application software not used for system administrative purposes,

11.4.2.c protect access to system administration systems through authentication and encryption.

11.5.2.a set up unique identities for network and information systems and their users;

11.5.2.d apply logging to the management of identities.

11.6.1 The relevant entities shall implement secure authentication procedures and technologies based on access restrictions and the policy on access control.

11.6.2.a ensure the strength of authentication is appropriate to the classification of the asset to be accessed;

11.6.2.c require the change of authentication credentials initially, at predefined intervals and upon suspicion that the credentials were compromised;

11.7.2 The relevant entities shall ensure that the strength of authentication is appropriate for the classification of the asset to be accessed.

12.1.2.c align the availability requirements of the assets with the delivery and recovery objectives set out in their business continuity and disaster recovery plans.

12.2.2.a cover the entire life cycle of the assets, including acquisition, use, storage, transportation and disposal;

ControlStatus
Non-RBAC key vaults should have 'Expiration Date' configured for all keysMapped
Non-RBAC key vaults should have 'Expiration Date' configured for all secretsMapped
RBAC key vaults should have 'Expiration Date' configured for all keysMapped
RBAC key vaults should have 'Expiration Date' configured for all secretsMapped
Storage accounts containing operational log containers should use customer-managed keys for encryptionMapped
Flow log resources should have flow logging enabledMapped
PostgreSQL flexible servers should have 'logfiles.retention_days' set to greater than 3 daysMapped
SQL servers should have auditing enabledMapped
SQL servers should have 'Auditing' retention set to greater than 90 daysMapped
SQL servers auditing to storage accounts should have retention set to 90 days or moreMapped
Storage accounts should have 'Allow Blob Anonymous Access' set to 'Disabled'Mapped
Azure Blob Storage accounts should have soft delete enabled for containersMapped
Storage accounts containing VHD OS disks should use customer-managed keys (CMK) for encryptionMapped
Storage accounts should have the default network access rule set to denyMapped
Storage accounts should have network access restrictions configuredMapped
Storage accounts should use customer-managed key for encryptionMapped
Storage accounts should have infrastructure encryption enabledMapped
Storage accounts should each have 'Enable key rotation reminders' enabledMapped
Storage accounts should have 'Minimum TLS version' set to 'Version 1.2'Mapped
Storage accounts should use virtual network rules to restrict network accessMapped
Storage accounts should have secure transfer enabledMapped
Storage accounts should have 'Allow Azure services on the trusted services list to access this storage account' enabledMapped
Storage accounts should use private linkMapped

12.2.2.b provide rules on the safe use, safe storage, safe transport, and the irretrievable deletion and destruction of the assets;

12.2.2.c provide that the transfer shall take place in a secure manner, in accordance with the type of asset to be transferred.

2.1.2.f evaluate the identified risks based on the risk criteria;

2.1.2.g identify and prioritise appropriate risk treatment options and measures;

ControlStatus
App Service apps should use the latest TLS versionMapped
App Service API apps should require HTTPS for all accessMapped
App Service apps should have App Service authentication configuredMapped
App Service function apps should have public access restrictions configuredMapped
Function apps should use managed identityMapped
App Service apps should have 'HTTP logs' enabledMapped
App Service web apps should use the latest TLS versionMapped
App Service apps should have 'Register with Azure Active Directory' enabledMapped
App Service web apps should require HTTPS for all accessMapped
App Service apps should use managed identityMapped
Function apps should have function keys configuredMapped
Function apps should have Application Insights enabledMapped
Function app managed identities should not have Owner, Contributor, User Access Administrator, or RBAC Administrator rolesMapped
Function apps should use the latest supported runtime version (~4)Mapped
Function apps should have virtual network integration enabledMapped
Container registries should have the admin user disabledMapped
Container registries should have public network access disabledMapped
Cosmos DB accounts should have 'Access Control' configured to use Azure Active Directory (AAD) and Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)Mapped
Cosmos DB accounts should use private linkMapped
Azure Cosmos DB accounts should have firewall rulesMapped
Kubernetes clusters should have network policy enabledMapped
Kubernetes cluster nodes should prohibit public accessMapped
Kubernetes clusters should have public access restrictions configuredMapped
Kubernetes clusters should use Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)Mapped
Azure Cognitive Search services should have public network access disabledMapped

2.1.2.h continuously monitor the implementation of the risk treatment measures;

2.1.2.i identify who is responsible for implementing the risk treatment measures and when they should be implemented;

2.2.1 The relevant entities shall regularly review the compliance with their policies on network and information system security, topic-specific policies, rules, and standards. The management bodies shall be informed of the status of network and information security on the basis of the...

2.2.3 The relevant entities shall perform the compliance monitoring at planned intervals and when significant incidents or significant changes to operations or risks occur.

2.3.1 The relevant entities shall review independently their approach to managing network and information system security and its implementation including people, processes and technologies.

ControlStatus
Microsoft Entra ID policies should have 'Guest invite restrictions' set to 'Only users assigned to specific admin roles [...]' or 'No one [..]'Mapped
Microsoft Entra ID policies should have 'Guest users access restrictions' set to 'Guest user access is restricted to properties and memberships of their own directory objects'Mapped
Microsoft Entra ID policies should have 'User consent for applications' set to 'Do not allow user consent'Mapped
Microsoft Entra ID policies should have 'User consent for applications' set to 'Allow user consent for apps from verified publishers, for selected permissions'Mapped
Microsoft Entra ID policies should have 'Users can create Microsoft 365 groups in Azure portals, API or PowerShell' set to 'No'Mapped
Microsoft Entra ID tenants should have 'security defaults' enabledMapped
Microsoft Entra ID tenants should limit Global Administrators to fewer than 5Mapped
Privileged Microsoft Entra ID users should have multifactor authentication enabledMapped
Microsoft Entra ID users with VM access should have multifactor authentication enabledMapped
Network security groups should prohibit inbound HTTP (port 80) access from the internetMapped
Public IP addresses should not be listed in ShodanMapped
Microsoft Entra ID conditional access policies should have trusted locations configuredMapped
Microsoft Entra ID policies should have 'Users can create security groups in Azure portals, API or PowerShell' set to 'No'Mapped
Microsoft Entra ID policies should have 'Users Can Create Tenants' set to 'No'Mapped
Microsoft Entra ID policies should have 'Users Can Register Applications' set to 'No'Mapped
Kubernetes clusters should have network policy enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have at least one Azure Bastion hostMapped
Network security groups should have RDP access restrictions configuredMapped
Network security groups should have SSH access from the internet restrictedMapped
Network security groups should have UDP services restricted from the internetMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Network Watcher enabledMapped
Flow log resources should have flow logging enabledMapped
Storage accounts should have the default network access rule set to denyMapped
Storage accounts should have network access restrictions configuredMapped
Storage accounts should use virtual network rules to restrict network accessMapped

3.1.1 For the purpose of Article 21(2), point (b) of Directive (EU) 2022/2555, the relevant entities shall establish and implement an incident handling policy laying down the roles, responsibilities, and procedures for detecting, analysing, containing or responding to, recovering from,...

3.1.2.c assignment of roles to detect and appropriately respond to incidents to competent employees;

3.1.2.d documents to be used in the course of incident detection and response such as incident response manuals, escalation charts, contact lists and templates.

3.1.3 The roles, responsibilities and procedures laid down in the policy shall be tested and reviewed and, where appropriate, updated at planned intervals and after significant incidents or significant changes to operations or risks.

ControlStatus
Microsoft Entra ID policies should have 'Guest invite restrictions' set to 'Only users assigned to specific admin roles [...]' or 'No one [..]'Mapped
Microsoft Entra ID policies should have 'Guest users access restrictions' set to 'Guest user access is restricted to properties and memberships of their own directory objects'Mapped
Microsoft Entra ID policies should have 'User consent for applications' set to 'Do not allow user consent'Mapped
Microsoft Entra ID policies should have 'User consent for applications' set to 'Allow user consent for apps from verified publishers, for selected permissions'Mapped
Microsoft Entra ID policies should have 'Users can create Microsoft 365 groups in Azure portals, API or PowerShell' set to 'No'Mapped
Microsoft Entra ID tenants should have 'security defaults' enabledMapped
Microsoft Entra ID tenants should limit Global Administrators to fewer than 5Mapped
Privileged Microsoft Entra ID users should have multifactor authentication enabledMapped
Microsoft Entra ID users with VM access should have multifactor authentication enabledMapped
Microsoft Entra ID conditional access policies should have trusted locations configuredMapped
Microsoft Entra ID policies should have 'Users can create security groups in Azure portals, API or PowerShell' set to 'No'Mapped
Microsoft Entra ID policies should have 'Users Can Create Tenants' set to 'No'Mapped
Microsoft Entra ID policies should have 'Users Can Register Applications' set to 'No'Mapped
Azure subscriptions should have email notifications for high severity alerts enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have email notifications to subscription owners for high severity alerts enabledMapped

3.2.1 The relevant entities shall lay down procedures and use tools to monitor and log activities on their network and information systems to detect events that could be considered as incidents and respond accordingly to mitigate the impact.

3.2.2 To the extent feasible, monitoring shall be automated and carried out either continuously or in periodic intervals, subject to business capabilities. The relevant entities shall implement their monitoring activities in a way which minimises false positives and false negatives.

3.2.3.a relevant outbound and inbound network traffic;

3.2.3.b creation, modification or deletion of users of the relevant entities network and information systems and extension of the permissions;

3.2.3.c access to systems and applications;

3.2.3.e all privileged access to systems and applications, and activities performed by administrative accounts;

3.2.3.f access or changes to critical configuration and backup files;

3.2.3.g event logs and logs from security tools, such as antivirus, intrusion detection systems or firewalls;

3.2.3.h use of system resources, as well as their performance;

3.2.5 The relevant entities shall maintain and back up logs for a predefined period and shall protect them from unauthorised access or changes.

3.4.1 The relevant entities shall assess suspicious events to determine whether they constitute incidents and, if so, determine their nature and severity.

3.5.1 The relevant entities shall respond to incidents in accordance with documented procedures and in a timely manner.

3.5.4 The relevant entities shall log incident response activities in accordance with the procedures referred to in point 3.2.1., and record evidence.

3.6.2 The relevant entities shall ensure that post-incident reviews contribute to improving their approach to network and information security, to risk treatment measures, and to incident handling, detection and response procedures.

ControlStatus
Virtual machines should have endpoint protection installedMapped
Running container images should have no unresolved vulnerabilitiesMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Microsoft Defender for IoT Hub enabledMapped
Virtual machines should have system updates installedMapped
Virtual machines should have a vulnerability assessment solution enabledMapped
Microsoft Defender for Cloud settings should have 'Additional email addresses' configured with a security contact emailMapped
Azure subscriptions should have auto provisioning of the Log Analytics agent enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Microsoft Defender for App Service enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Microsoft Defender for Containers enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Microsoft Defender for Azure Cosmos DB enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Microsoft Defender for Databases enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Azure Defender for DNS enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Microsoft Defender for Key Vault enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Microsoft Defender for open-source relational databases enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Azure Defender for Resource Manager enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Microsoft Defender for Servers enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Microsoft Defender for Azure SQL Database servers enabledMapped
Unprotected SQL Server virtual machines should have Azure Defender for SQL enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Microsoft Defender for Storage enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Microsoft Defender for Cloud container image scanning enabledMapped
Microsoft Defender for Cloud should have Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps (MCAS) integration selectedMapped
Azure subscriptions should have email notifications for high severity alerts enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have email notifications to subscription owners for high severity alerts enabledMapped
Security Center should have Windows Defender ATP (WDATP) integration selectedMapped
Critical SQL servers should have Microsoft Defender for SQL set to 'On'Mapped
Unprotected Azure SQL servers should have Azure Defender for SQL enabledMapped

4.1.1 For the purpose of Article 21(2), point (c) of Directive (EU) 2022/2555, the relevant entities shall lay down and maintain a business continuity and disaster recovery plan to apply in the case of incidents.

4.1.2.f recovery plans for specific operations, including recovery objectives;

4.1.2.g required resources, including backups and redundancies;

4.1.4 The business continuity plan and disaster recovery plan shall be tested, reviewed and, where appropriate, updated at planned intervals and following significant incidents or significant changes to operations or risks. The relevant entities shall ensure that the plans incorporate lessons...

4.2.2.b assurance that backup copies are complete and accurate, including configuration data and data stored in cloud computing service environment;

4.2.2.e restoring data from backup copies;

4.2.2.f retention periods based on business and regulatory requirements.

4.3.2.a roles and responsibilities for personnel and, where appropriate, suppliers and service providers, specifying the allocation of roles in crisis situations, including specific steps to follow;

4.3.2.c application of appropriate measures to ensure the maintenance of network and information system security in crisis situations.

5.1.2.a the cybersecurity practices of the suppliers and service providers, including their secure development procedures;

ControlStatus
App Service apps should have Client Certificates (Incoming client certificates) enabledMapped
App Service API apps should require FTPS onlyMapped
App Service apps should use the latest TLS versionMapped
App Service API apps should require HTTPS for all accessMapped
App Service apps should have App Service authentication configuredMapped
App Service apps should have FTP deployments disabledMapped
App Service function apps should have public access restrictions configuredMapped
Function apps should use managed identityMapped
App Service apps should have 'Client Certificates (Incoming client certificates)' enabledMapped
App Service apps should have 'HTTP logs' enabledMapped
App Service web apps should require FTPSMapped
App Service web apps should have 'Client Certificates (Incoming client certificates)' set to 'On'Mapped
App Service web apps should use the latest 'HTTP Version' when used to run the appMapped
App Service web apps should use the latest 'Java version' when Java is part of the appMapped
App Service web apps should use the latest 'PHP version' when PHP is part of the appMapped
App Service web apps should use the latest 'Python version' when Python is part of the appMapped
App Service web apps should use the latest TLS versionMapped
App Service apps should have 'Register with Azure Active Directory' enabledMapped
App Service web apps should require HTTPS for all accessMapped
App Service apps should use managed identityMapped
Function apps should have function keys configuredMapped
Function apps should have Application Insights enabledMapped
Function app managed identities should not have Owner, Contributor, User Access Administrator, or RBAC Administrator rolesMapped
Function apps should use the latest supported runtime version (~4)Mapped
Function apps should have virtual network integration enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have at least one Application Insights resource configuredMapped
Kubernetes clusters should have network policy enabledMapped

5.1.4.f an obligation on suppliers and service providers to handle vulnerabilities that present a risk to the security of the network and information systems of the relevant entities;

6.1.2.b requirements regarding security updates throughout the entire lifetime of the ICT services or ICT products, or replacement after the end of the support period;

6.2.1 Before developing a network and information system, including software, the relevant entities shall lay down rules for the secure development of network and information systems and apply them when developing network and information systems in-house, or when outsourcing the development of...

ControlStatus
App Service apps should have Client Certificates (Incoming client certificates) enabledMapped
App Service API apps should require FTPS onlyMapped
App Service apps should use the latest TLS versionMapped
App Service API apps should require HTTPS for all accessMapped
App Service apps should have App Service authentication configuredMapped
App Service apps should have FTP deployments disabledMapped
App Service function apps should have public access restrictions configuredMapped
Function apps should use managed identityMapped
App Service apps should have 'Client Certificates (Incoming client certificates)' enabledMapped
App Service apps should have 'HTTP logs' enabledMapped
App Service web apps should require FTPSMapped
App Service web apps should have 'Client Certificates (Incoming client certificates)' set to 'On'Mapped
App Service web apps should use the latest 'HTTP Version' when used to run the appMapped
App Service web apps should use the latest 'Java version' when Java is part of the appMapped
App Service web apps should use the latest 'PHP version' when PHP is part of the appMapped
App Service web apps should use the latest 'Python version' when Python is part of the appMapped
App Service web apps should use the latest TLS versionMapped
App Service apps should have 'Register with Azure Active Directory' enabledMapped
App Service web apps should require HTTPS for all accessMapped
App Service apps should use managed identityMapped
Function apps should have function keys configuredMapped
Function apps should have Application Insights enabledMapped
Function app managed identities should not have Owner, Contributor, User Access Administrator, or RBAC Administrator rolesMapped
Function apps should use the latest supported runtime version (~4)Mapped
Function apps should have virtual network integration enabledMapped
Virtual machines should have system updates installedMapped

6.2.2.b apply principles for engineering secure systems and secure coding principles to any information system development activities such as promoting cybersecurity-by-design, zero-trust architectures;

ControlStatus
App Service apps should have Client Certificates (Incoming client certificates) enabledMapped
App Service API apps should require FTPS onlyMapped
App Service apps should use the latest TLS versionMapped
App Service API apps should require HTTPS for all accessMapped
App Service apps should have App Service authentication configuredMapped
App Service apps should have FTP deployments disabledMapped
App Service function apps should have public access restrictions configuredMapped
Function apps should use managed identityMapped
App Service apps should have 'Client Certificates (Incoming client certificates)' enabledMapped
App Service apps should have 'HTTP logs' enabledMapped
App Service web apps should require FTPSMapped
App Service web apps should have 'Client Certificates (Incoming client certificates)' set to 'On'Mapped
App Service web apps should use the latest 'HTTP Version' when used to run the appMapped
App Service web apps should use the latest 'Java version' when Java is part of the appMapped
App Service web apps should use the latest 'PHP version' when PHP is part of the appMapped
App Service web apps should use the latest 'Python version' when Python is part of the appMapped
App Service web apps should use the latest TLS versionMapped
App Service apps should have 'Register with Azure Active Directory' enabledMapped
App Service web apps should require HTTPS for all accessMapped
App Service apps should use managed identityMapped
Function apps should have function keys configuredMapped
Function apps should have Application Insights enabledMapped
Function app managed identities should not have Owner, Contributor, User Access Administrator, or RBAC Administrator rolesMapped
Function apps should use the latest supported runtime version (~4)Mapped
Function apps should have virtual network integration enabledMapped

6.2.2.c lay down security requirements regarding development environments;

ControlStatus
App Service apps should have Client Certificates (Incoming client certificates) enabledMapped
App Service API apps should require FTPS onlyMapped
App Service apps should use the latest TLS versionMapped
App Service API apps should require HTTPS for all accessMapped
App Service apps should have App Service authentication configuredMapped
App Service apps should have FTP deployments disabledMapped
App Service function apps should have public access restrictions configuredMapped
Function apps should use managed identityMapped
App Service apps should have 'Client Certificates (Incoming client certificates)' enabledMapped
App Service apps should have 'HTTP logs' enabledMapped
App Service web apps should require FTPSMapped
App Service web apps should have 'Client Certificates (Incoming client certificates)' set to 'On'Mapped
App Service web apps should use the latest 'HTTP Version' when used to run the appMapped
App Service web apps should use the latest 'Java version' when Java is part of the appMapped
App Service web apps should use the latest 'PHP version' when PHP is part of the appMapped
App Service web apps should use the latest 'Python version' when Python is part of the appMapped
App Service web apps should use the latest TLS versionMapped
App Service apps should have 'Register with Azure Active Directory' enabledMapped
App Service web apps should require HTTPS for all accessMapped
App Service apps should use managed identityMapped
Function apps should have function keys configuredMapped
Function apps should have Application Insights enabledMapped
Function app managed identities should not have Owner, Contributor, User Access Administrator, or RBAC Administrator rolesMapped
Function apps should use the latest supported runtime version (~4)Mapped
Function apps should have virtual network integration enabledMapped

6.4.1 The relevant entities shall apply change management procedures to control changes of network and information systems. Where applicable, the procedures shall be consistent with the relevant entities general policies concerning change management.

6.6.1.a security patches are applied within a reasonable time after they become available;

6.7.2.b determine and apply controls to protect the relevant entities internal network domains from unauthorised access;

6.7.2.e not use systems used for administration of the security policy implementation for other purposes;

6.7.2.g where appropriate, exclusively allow access to the relevant entities network and information systems by devices authorised by those entities;

6.7.2.i establish communication between distinct systems only through trusted channels that are isolated using logical, cryptographic or physical separation from other communication channels and provide assured identification of their end points and protection of the channel data from...

6.7.2.l apply best practices for the security of the DNS, and for Internet routing security and routing hygiene of traffic originating from and destined to the network.

6.8.2.a consider the functional, logical and physical relationship, including location, between trustworthy systems and services;

6.9.2 For that purpose, the relevant entities shall in particular implement measures that detect or prevent the use of malicious or unauthorised software. The relevant entities shall, where appropriate, ensure that their network and information systems are equipped with detection and response...

ControlStatus
Virtual machines should have endpoint protection installedMapped
Running container images should have no unresolved vulnerabilitiesMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Microsoft Defender for IoT Hub enabledMapped
Virtual machines should have system updates installedMapped
Virtual machines should have a vulnerability assessment solution enabledMapped
Microsoft Defender for Cloud settings should have 'Additional email addresses' configured with a security contact emailMapped
Azure subscriptions should have auto provisioning of the Log Analytics agent enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Microsoft Defender for App Service enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Microsoft Defender for Containers enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Microsoft Defender for Azure Cosmos DB enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Microsoft Defender for Databases enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Azure Defender for DNS enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Microsoft Defender for Key Vault enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Microsoft Defender for open-source relational databases enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Azure Defender for Resource Manager enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Microsoft Defender for Servers enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Microsoft Defender for Azure SQL Database servers enabledMapped
Unprotected SQL Server virtual machines should have Azure Defender for SQL enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Microsoft Defender for Storage enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have Microsoft Defender for Cloud container image scanning enabledMapped
Microsoft Defender for Cloud should have Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps (MCAS) integration selectedMapped
Azure subscriptions should have email notifications for high severity alerts enabledMapped
Azure subscriptions should have email notifications to subscription owners for high severity alerts enabledMapped
Security Center should have Windows Defender ATP (WDATP) integration selectedMapped
Critical SQL servers should have Microsoft Defender for SQL set to 'On'Mapped
Unprotected Azure SQL servers should have Azure Defender for SQL enabledMapped

7.2.b the methods for monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation, as applicable, to ensure valid results;

9.2.a in accordance with the relevant entities classification of assets, the type, strength and quality of the cryptographic measures required to protect the relevant entities assets, including data at rest and data in transit;

9.2.c the relevant entities approach to key management, including, where appropriate, methods for the following:

9.2.c.i generating different keys for cryptographic systems and applications;

9.2.c.ii issuing and obtaining public key certificates;

9.2.c.iii distributing keys to intended entities, including how to activate keys when received;

9.2.c.iv storing keys, including how authorised users obtain access to keys;

9.2.c.v changing or updating keys, including rules on when and how to change keys;

9.2.c.vi backing up or archiving keys;

9.2.c.xii setting activation and deactivation dates for keys ensuring that the keys can only be used for the specified period of time according to the organization's rules on key management.

FrameworkControl overlapNote
CIS Azure Benchmark v2.0.0High 83%
CIS Azure Benchmark v2.1.0High 80%
CIS Azure Benchmark v3.0.0High 80%

Frequently asked questions

Which instrument is NIS2 and what did it replace?

NIS2 is Directive (EU) 2022/2555 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022, published in the Official Journal on 27.12.2022. It repeals Directive (EU) 2016/1148 and amends Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 and Directive (EU) 2018/1972.

How does NIS2 decide which entities fall in scope?

It uses a uniform size-cap rule.

Are small enterprises ever covered by NIS2?

Member States must provide for certain small enterprises and microenterprises to fall within scope when they fulfil specific criteria that indicate a key role for society, the economy or particular sectors or types of service.

Are public administration entities excluded from NIS2?

Exclusion applies to public administration entities whose activities are predominantly in national security, public security, defence or law enforcement. Entities whose activities are only marginally related to those areas are not excluded.

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Controls by category1.1.1.a set out the relevant entities approach to managing the security of their network and information systems;1.1.1.c set out network and information security objectives;1.2.1 As part of their policy on the security of network and information systems referred to in point 1.1., the relevant entities shall lay down responsibilities and authorities for network and information system security and assign them to roles, allocate them according to the relevant entities...1.2.4 Depending on the size of the relevant entities, network and information system security shall be covered by dedicated roles or duties carried out in addition to existing roles.11.1.1 For the purpose of Article 21(2), point (i) of Directive (EU) 2022/2555, the relevant entities shall establish, document and implement logical and physical access control policies for the access to their network and information systems, based on business requirements as well as network...11.1.2.c ensure that access is only granted to users that have been adequately authenticated.11.2.1 The relevant entities shall provide, modify, remove and document access rights to network and information systems in accordance with the access control policy referred to in point 11.1.11.2.2.a assign and revoke access rights based on the principles of need-to-know, least privilege and separation of duties;11.2.2.d ensure that access rights appropriately address third-party access, such as visitors, suppliers and service providers, in particular by limiting access rights in scope and in duration;11.2.2.f apply logging to the management of access rights.11.3.1 The relevant entities shall maintain policies for management of privileged accounts and system administration accounts as part of the access control policy referred to in point 11.1.11.3.2.a establish strong identification, authentication such as multi-factor authentication, and authorisation procedures for privileged accounts and system administration accounts;11.3.2.b set up specific accounts to be used for system administration operations exclusively, such as installation, configuration, management or maintenance;11.3.2.c individualise and restrict system administration privileges to the highest extent possible,11.3.2.d provide that system administration accounts are only used to connect to system administration systems.11.4.2.b separate logically such systems from application software not used for system administrative purposes,11.4.2.c protect access to system administration systems through authentication and encryption.11.5.2.a set up unique identities for network and information systems and their users;11.5.2.d apply logging to the management of identities.11.6.1 The relevant entities shall implement secure authentication procedures and technologies based on access restrictions and the policy on access control.11.6.2.a ensure the strength of authentication is appropriate to the classification of the asset to be accessed;11.6.2.c require the change of authentication credentials initially, at predefined intervals and upon suspicion that the credentials were compromised;11.7.2 The relevant entities shall ensure that the strength of authentication is appropriate for the classification of the asset to be accessed.12.1.2.c align the availability requirements of the assets with the delivery and recovery objectives set out in their business continuity and disaster recovery plans.12.2.2.a cover the entire life cycle of the assets, including acquisition, use, storage, transportation and disposal;12.2.2.b provide rules on the safe use, safe storage, safe transport, and the irretrievable deletion and destruction of the assets;12.2.2.c provide that the transfer shall take place in a secure manner, in accordance with the type of asset to be transferred.2.1.2.f evaluate the identified risks based on the risk criteria;2.1.2.g identify and prioritise appropriate risk treatment options and measures;2.1.2.h continuously monitor the implementation of the risk treatment measures;2.1.2.i identify who is responsible for implementing the risk treatment measures and when they should be implemented;2.2.1 The relevant entities shall regularly review the compliance with their policies on network and information system security, topic-specific policies, rules, and standards. The management bodies shall be informed of the status of network and information security on the basis of the...2.2.3 The relevant entities shall perform the compliance monitoring at planned intervals and when significant incidents or significant changes to operations or risks occur.2.3.1 The relevant entities shall review independently their approach to managing network and information system security and its implementation including people, processes and technologies.3.1.1 For the purpose of Article 21(2), point (b) of Directive (EU) 2022/2555, the relevant entities shall establish and implement an incident handling policy laying down the roles, responsibilities, and procedures for detecting, analysing, containing or responding to, recovering from,...3.1.2.c assignment of roles to detect and appropriately respond to incidents to competent employees;3.1.2.d documents to be used in the course of incident detection and response such as incident response manuals, escalation charts, contact lists and templates.3.1.3 The roles, responsibilities and procedures laid down in the policy shall be tested and reviewed and, where appropriate, updated at planned intervals and after significant incidents or significant changes to operations or risks.3.2.1 The relevant entities shall lay down procedures and use tools to monitor and log activities on their network and information systems to detect events that could be considered as incidents and respond accordingly to mitigate the impact.3.2.2 To the extent feasible, monitoring shall be automated and carried out either continuously or in periodic intervals, subject to business capabilities. The relevant entities shall implement their monitoring activities in a way which minimises false positives and false negatives.3.2.3.a relevant outbound and inbound network traffic;3.2.3.b creation, modification or deletion of users of the relevant entities network and information systems and extension of the permissions;3.2.3.c access to systems and applications;3.2.3.d authentication-related events;3.2.3.e all privileged access to systems and applications, and activities performed by administrative accounts;3.2.3.f access or changes to critical configuration and backup files;3.2.3.g event logs and logs from security tools, such as antivirus, intrusion detection systems or firewalls;3.2.3.h use of system resources, as well as their performance;3.2.4 The logs shall be regularly reviewed for any unusual or unwanted trends. Where appropriate, the relevant entities shall lay down appropriate values for alarm thresholds. If the laid down values for alarm threshold are exceeded, an alarm shall be triggered, where appropriate, automatically....3.2.5 The relevant entities shall maintain and back up logs for a predefined period and shall protect them from unauthorised access or changes.3.4.1 The relevant entities shall assess suspicious events to determine whether they constitute incidents and, if so, determine their nature and severity.3.5.1 The relevant entities shall respond to incidents in accordance with documented procedures and in a timely manner.3.5.3.a with the Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs) or, where applicable, the competent authorities, related to incident notification;3.5.4 The relevant entities shall log incident response activities in accordance with the procedures referred to in point 3.2.1., and record evidence.3.6.2 The relevant entities shall ensure that post-incident reviews contribute to improving their approach to network and information security, to risk treatment measures, and to incident handling, detection and response procedures.4.1.1 For the purpose of Article 21(2), point (c) of Directive (EU) 2022/2555, the relevant entities shall lay down and maintain a business continuity and disaster recovery plan to apply in the case of incidents.4.1.2.f recovery plans for specific operations, including recovery objectives;4.1.2.g required resources, including backups and redundancies;4.1.4 The business continuity plan and disaster recovery plan shall be tested, reviewed and, where appropriate, updated at planned intervals and following significant incidents or significant changes to operations or risks. The relevant entities shall ensure that the plans incorporate lessons...4.2.2.b assurance that backup copies are complete and accurate, including configuration data and data stored in cloud computing service environment;4.2.2.e restoring data from backup copies;4.2.2.f retention periods based on business and regulatory requirements.4.3.2.a roles and responsibilities for personnel and, where appropriate, suppliers and service providers, specifying the allocation of roles in crisis situations, including specific steps to follow;4.3.2.c application of appropriate measures to ensure the maintenance of network and information system security in crisis situations.5.1.2.a the cybersecurity practices of the suppliers and service providers, including their secure development procedures;5.1.4.f an obligation on suppliers and service providers to handle vulnerabilities that present a risk to the security of the network and information systems of the relevant entities;5.1.7.b review incidents related to ICT products and ICT services from suppliers and service providers;6.1.2.b requirements regarding security updates throughout the entire lifetime of the ICT services or ICT products, or replacement after the end of the support period;6.2.1 Before developing a network and information system, including software, the relevant entities shall lay down rules for the secure development of network and information systems and apply them when developing network and information systems in-house, or when outsourcing the development of...6.2.2.b apply principles for engineering secure systems and secure coding principles to any information system development activities such as promoting cybersecurity-by-design, zero-trust architectures;6.2.2.c lay down security requirements regarding development environments;6.4.1 The relevant entities shall apply change management procedures to control changes of network and information systems. Where applicable, the procedures shall be consistent with the relevant entities general policies concerning change management.6.6.1.a security patches are applied within a reasonable time after they become available;6.7.2.b determine and apply controls to protect the relevant entities internal network domains from unauthorised access;6.7.2.e not use systems used for administration of the security policy implementation for other purposes;6.7.2.g where appropriate, exclusively allow access to the relevant entities network and information systems by devices authorised by those entities;6.7.2.i establish communication between distinct systems only through trusted channels that are isolated using logical, cryptographic or physical separation from other communication channels and provide assured identification of their end points and protection of the channel data from...6.7.2.l apply best practices for the security of the DNS, and for Internet routing security and routing hygiene of traffic originating from and destined to the network.6.8.2.a consider the functional, logical and physical relationship, including location, between trustworthy systems and services;6.9.2 For that purpose, the relevant entities shall in particular implement measures that detect or prevent the use of malicious or unauthorised software. The relevant entities shall, where appropriate, ensure that their network and information systems are equipped with detection and response...7.2.b the methods for monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation, as applicable, to ensure valid results;9.2.a in accordance with the relevant entities classification of assets, the type, strength and quality of the cryptographic measures required to protect the relevant entities assets, including data at rest and data in transit;9.2.c the relevant entities approach to key management, including, where appropriate, methods for the following:9.2.c.i generating different keys for cryptographic systems and applications;9.2.c.ii issuing and obtaining public key certificates;9.2.c.iii distributing keys to intended entities, including how to activate keys when received;9.2.c.iv storing keys, including how authorised users obtain access to keys;9.2.c.v changing or updating keys, including rules on when and how to change keys;9.2.c.vi backing up or archiving keys;9.2.c.vii logging and auditing of key management-related activities;9.2.c.xii setting activation and deactivation dates for keys ensuring that the keys can only be used for the specified period of time according to the organization's rules on key management.Related frameworksFrequently asked questions

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